


somewhere unknown, deep in the clouds

by sharpshootered



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Gryffindor!Wuxian, Hogwarts AU, I'm writing too many tags please enjoy, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, No Smut, Pining, Ravenclaw!Wangji, Slow Burn, This Is Going To Be Delicious, Wei Ying is more like the novel but Lan Zhan more like the show, but it doesn't divert too much I just gotta fit them in the story, but somehow worse, characters ages don't line up with canon, muggle born Wei wuxian, rrreeaalllyyy slow, some original characters - Freeform, the clans are like the pureblood houses, there won't be a lot of it but I want to put it in the tags just in case, wen clan is basically the Malfoy house
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23894683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharpshootered/pseuds/sharpshootered
Summary: After being adopted by the Jiang family, Wei Wuxian is exposed the magical world of wizards and witches. Mischief and shenanigans ensue.a.k.a. This is is going to be a long fic chronicling the character's time at Hogwarts.
Relationships: Jiāng Yànlí/Jīn Zǐxuān, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Comments: 28
Kudos: 150





	1. Chapter 1

Wei Wuxian had only been with the Jiang Family for a year when he got his letter. Of course, with the Jiang family being one of the “sacred twenty eight”, or the pureblood families, 11-year-old Wei Wuxian already knew about the existence of witches and wizards.

However, he didn’t expect to actually receive a letter. His parents weren’t wizards, and he hadn’t been able to perform any magic (granted, he had never really tried it). Though he supposes, there were times when he was living on the street after his parent’s death when food would miraculously appear in his pocket when he was hungry. And there was that time when the backdoor to his favorite restaurant was permanently and inexplicably open for almost four whole days until they had it replaced. The only reason he had a roof over his head is because Jiang Fengmain was best friends with his father. He otherwise had no connection to the wizarding world… until now.

Jiang Cheng got his letter in the mail only five months later on his eleventh birthday, not that he hadn’t figured he was getting one. No Jiang in the last three generations was born a squib (they don’t like to talk about great-great-great-uncle Jiang Fa). He and Wei Ying rejoiced: they were going to see each other and Shijie every day!

Jiang Yanli was already in her third year at Hogwarts. She’s been telling them tales and wonders of Hogwarts since Wei Ying arrived. She spoke of the ghosts that wander the corridors, the best professors as well as the worst, and the roaring excitement of quidditch. She told of the endless library and the smell of old stone. But most of all, she said that each Hogwarts experience is unique: no two people live through a school year without a personal experience worth remembering.

One can only imagine the pure joy each of the younger Jiang brothers felt holding that yellow letter in their hands, ripping open the deep red seal, reading the neat cursive of a Professor McGonagall (one of the better teachers, according to Shijie). She wrote a shopping list with supplies that they will need for the upcoming year:

Uniform

First-year students will require:

  1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
  2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
  3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
  4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)



Course books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

  * _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ by Miranda Goshawk
  * _A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot
  * _Defense for Beginners_ by Marcus Maggleby
  * _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore
  * _Magical Droughts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger
  * _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Schamander
  * _Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling



Other Equipment

  * 1 wand
  * 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
  * 1 set glass or crystal phials
  * 1 telescope
  * 1 set brass scales



Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad OR a rabbit.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOM STICKS

A pet? Wei Ying would have to pass, but Jiang Cheng’s eyes lit up. He had been forced to give up his three puppies earlier that year when it was discovered Wei Ying was nothing less than terrified of them. Apparently, he had had some bad experiences when he roamed the streets and could not tolerate their presence in the house without shaking in fear. Even so, Jiang Cheng loathed to see them off. But now, he had a chance for a new pet, one that Wei Ying surely won’t be scared of this time.

On the other hand, Wei Ying was ecstatic for his very own wand. He couldn’t wait to feel the weight of it in his hands. Shijie told him all about how the wand chooses the wizard and how no two wands were the same. His wand will be unique to him and him only. His heart skipped a beat just thinking about it.

The others in his new-found family might not think it such a big deal (a stick that channels the user’s magic and performs spells? Please, they’ve been surrounded by them their whole lives), but the young wizard had never even seen one until last year when Jiang Fengmian fended off some feral dogs who had been gnawing on Wei Ying’s hand as he attempted to shoo them away. The kind man then offered him a place to stay, promising he will never go hungry again. The rest is history, as they say.

The family made the trip to Diagon Alley in late July, about a month ahead of their first day. They traveled by car, as Wei Ying had never traveled by floo powder, and Jiang Fengmian didn’t want to make him sick on his first visit to the famed alleyway. It wasn’t a short car ride (about four hours), but the father managed to enchant the vehicle so they could all spread out comfortably (he had connections with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office in the Ministry, apparently). There was even a table in the middle to play wizard chess, a favorite pastime of the three siblings. Nevertheless, Madame Yu managed to complain almost the entire way there.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that we have to drive to the damn place when we could’ve been there in ten seconds,” she exclaimed, her back rigid against the passenger seat.

“We already discussed this, honey,” Jiang Fengmian sighed.

“I couldn’t care less about the boy,” she stated rather harshly. “He shouldn’t be dictating our plans in the first place.”

Wei Ying sat in the back, pretending to sleep on the bed Jiang Fengmian placed there for them. He felt guilty about the car ride, but he knew no matter what happened Madame Yu would manage to find a way to complain about him. She never liked him and made that abundantly clear in the time he had been living in the Jiang household. The way she spat curses at him when he accidentally spilled a drink, or how she would assign him the hardest chores. He could still feel the blisters from weeding the garden for hours last week.

Hearing her words never failed to make him angry, but he knew to keep his mouth shut. Defending himself or provoking her only caused trouble for him and the rest of the family.

The first time she reprimanded him was when him and Jiang Cheng broke their beds. The two boys had finally learned to get along after a rough couple of nights when Jiang Fengmian brought Wei Ying home. Since the older man ordered his precious puppies to be put up for adoption due to Wei Ying’s deep-seated phobia, Jiang Cheng felt a loathing for him upon his arrival. Only after a melodramatic escape to the forest behind their house and some coaxing from Shijie did they finally manage to become friends. That first night they managed to get along consisted of pushing their twin beds together and using them as a trampoline. Consequently, both of the bed frames were eventually shattered.

Yet, instead of punishing both of the guilty children for their collective mishap, Madame Yu had made up her mind that Wei Ying was responsible for the crime and sentenced him to take on not only Jiang Cheng’s chores for the rest of the week, but Shijie’s, too. Jiang Cheng tried to protest, saying that he was not the only one responsible. Wei Ying joined in, claiming this punishment was unfair and Jiang Fengmian should hear them out as well.

“Am I not enough?” She bellowed after hearing her husband’s name. “Is my judgment so skewed that I cannot think without a man in my presence?! How _dare_ you!” Her face practically fuming, she pointed her maroon, almost purple, wand at his throat.

Luckily, “Uncle Jiang”, as Wei Ying has taken to calling him, entered the bedroom just in time. He managed to coax her into lowering her wand, but the punishment for the beds still withheld. Since then, Wei Ying hadn’t dared talk back to her, even if she was being unreasonable in her unprompted rage.

The car rolled into a parking space on the side of the road. On their left was a row of shops and restaurants, bustling with muggle families out for a nice day of shopping. Wei Wuxian couldn’t see how this was connected to Diagon Alley-- these were all muggle shops.

Just as he was about to ask, Uncle Jiang led the family into a dingy pub less than a couple steps from their car. Funny, Wei Wuxian didn’t even notice it until it was pointed out to him. He could vaguely read the grimy sign hanging overhead: The Leaky Cauldron. Well, it sounds wizard-y enough, he thought.

Despite the outside of the pub practically black with grime, the inside was actually quite nice. The large dining area was filled with dark wooden tables and the floor was spotless. It could be described looking like a large cottage, but with a bar. They reached the place around noon so it was bustling with what the young boy could only assume to be wizards and witches. They all wore long flowing robes of almost every color. Some wore tall pointed hats and some elaborate pins to hold back their long hair (why does every wizard have long hair? Even Jiang Cheng’s hair reaches just past his shoulders).

“Isn’t it wonderful?” his sister prompted after Wei Ying paused in awe. He had never seen an actual wizard shop or gathering place before. Overflowing cups of butterbeer literally flew across the room, brooms swept the floor by themselves, candles floated above every table. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stay for long. Jiang Cheng was itching to get his supplies, or so he claimed. The older brother was pretty sure he just wanted to get the owl he wouldn’t shut up about in the car.

Pulled along through the pub by his sibling, they reached the back room. In front of them stood a large brick wall. Madame Yu tapped a certain sequence of bricks with her wand, and suddenly the wall revealed an archway to the street behind it.

If Wei Wuxian was shocked by the Leaky Cauldron, he was knocked to the floor by Diagon Alley. Everywhere you look, magic filled the air. Cauldrons overflowed with strange and colorful liquids, witches and wizards flying above them on broomsticks, paper advertisements pasted on walls waving at every passerby, sparkling spells of every color zooming out of chimneys above the tall, crooked buildings. The young wizard couldn’t stop smiling.

Madame Yu and Shijie separated from them as Shijie’s list didn’t include many of the basics the two first years needed. Uncle Jiang led them toward Flourish and Blott’s first since it was closest. Jiang Cheng claimed he couldn’t care less about school books. He was surrounded by magic every day, after all. He knew much more about magic than most, having grown up in a wizarding family with an older sister already well into her schooling, so why would he need to read about it? Wei Ying, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get his hands on his textbooks. He even vowed to memorize every spell in The Standard Book of Spells by the end of the semester.

Leaving the store with arms full of books, they contemplated on where to go next.

“Well, since Madam Malkin’s is only across the street, how about we go there next?” suggested Uncle Jiang.

“I don’t know…” Jiang Cheng bit his cheek. He was looking at the owl perched on top of a sign that read _Eeylop’s Owl Emporium_ a couple shops away. Clearly, having a tape measure wrapped around his waist didn’t appeal to him as much as the pet he had been lusting over since he got his letter.

“We can go to the pet store after we get your robes, how about that?” The older man reasoned. “It will only take a moment. That Madame Malkin works incredibly fast.”

Jiang Cheng’s face fell a bit.

“It’s fine, Uncle Jiang,” piped Wei Ying. He could see how much his brother wanted to get that owl. “I’m not much of an animal person, anyway. How about I just go get my robes first while you guys go to the pet shop? I can wait for you at that ice cream place next to the shop.”

The younger boy’s face lit up. “Please, Dad? Please, please, please?!”

“Okay, okay, fine,” the father laughed. “I’ll meet you at Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour when we’re finished. Don’t cause any trouble while we’re gone.”

Wei Ying grinned sheepishly. Trouble did seem to follow him wherever he went. Whether it was a prank gone wrong or accidentally terrorizing his wizard neighbors (he didn’t mean to throw the garden gnomes directly into their lawn, he swears it), he always managed to stir up mischief. But he knew the Jiang family name carried weight with it. If he was caught up in his usual antics out in the open like this, he knew Uncle Jiang would have to bail him out. He wouldn’t want to be the cause of any savage gossip directed at the respected family.

With this in mind, he walked toward the door of _Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions_ alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic in any fandom :o I really wanted a long term fic set in the Harry Potter universe within this fandom and was surprised there were so little. So, I felt compelled to contribute :) I am not well versed on Chinese honorifics or other aspects of Chinese culture and everything I write it based off the show, the novel, and the Donghua. If I make an error in any of these categories don't hesitate to let me know! I want to be respectful and my aim is to be as accurate as possible in terms of culture.
> 
> Some aspects of the story will shift obviously. I chose the houses for each character myself and will explain my reasonings for putting each character in their respective houses when their houses are revealed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. Normally, I plan for this to be updated every Tuesday CST. I just finished with finals so I blame it on that. Long notes on the bottom explaining some choices I made for the chapter (wands and houses), so feel free to skip if you feel like it!

The shop was pretty empty except for a young girl getting fitted by a plump middle-aged woman. The woman was bent down at the girl’s feet with a hand full of pins when Wei Wuxian entered.

“Welcome, dear!” Shouted the woman, presumably Madame Malkin, without turning around. She sounded a bit frazzled despite her kind words. “I suspect you’re here for the first year uniforms.” She smiled politely as she shifted to face him.

“Um, yeah,” said Wei Ying, a bit nervous. This is the first time he’s ever had something tailored, magic or otherwise, so he wasn’t positive on what he was supposed to do.

“I’ll be right with you, dear. Why don’t you stand on the platform over there? You can put your books on the table next to it, they’ll be safe.”

Wei Wuxian did as she said and waited patiently for her to finish with the other student. He flipped through a wizard fashion catalog as he stood on the small square in front of the mirror. It showed wizards and witches turning around and posing in long, flowing robes with hats that must have reached the ceiling. The robes were velvet, satin, silk, or just plain cotton. All were adorned with elaborate pins and fastenings. Next to each item of clothing sparkled the names and prices. The names were pretty average, surprisingly. They consisted of “Olive green cloak” or “Dragon scale earrings”.

As he flipped through the magazine, the door to the shop opened again. A tall man with a small beard led two boys through the entrance. They all had long black hair tied back in some way with a pale blue ribbon. One of the boys was taller and probably a bit older, but they both looked strikingly similar: pretty features and pale skin like snow. The only thing besides height that really distinguished them from each other were their expressions. The older one had a warm, bright smile and an overall very welcoming demeanor. The younger one, however, had a cold, icy stare. His face was expressionless, but he looked like he could cut you with just a glance.

“Oh!” exclaimed the older witch. She had just finished with her customer and was currently billing her. “Hello, Lan Qiren!”

The older man gave her a gentle smile. “Hello, Madame Malkin.”

“Oh, look at this!” She said with a smile as she waved goodbye to the girl. “Is the youngest Lan finally in his first year? It seems like I just fitted Lan Xichen for his first uniform last year!”

“It’s lovely to see you, too, Madame,” said the older boy, presumably Lan Xichen. He smiled kindly at the woman.

“Well, why don’t you two set up next to the young gentleman in the corner there,” she pointed toward Wei Wuxian. “I’ll work on his robes and get to you as fast as I can!”

“It’s no rush, Madame,” Lan Qiren assured her graciously.

Jeez, thought Wei Wuxian, this family seems to be hell-bent on politeness.

The younger boy (whom Wei Wuxian still didn’t seem to know the name of) took his place on the platform next to him. His cold eyes didn’t acknowledge him.

Madame Milkin got to work. She walked around him, pinning this and that, with a floating measuring tape spanning whatever length needed, even wrapping around his chest and waist.

“Hello,” Wei Ying braved as he shrugged on a lengthy black cloak.

The younger boy looked at him through the mirror and nodded politely.

“Is this your first year, too?”

He nodded at him again. His hair reached to the small of his back, the top half gathered in a ponytail. At a closer distance, Wei Ying saw that the pale ribbon that tied it together was actually covered in beautiful, delicate clouds.

“Oh. Me as well.”

The boy’s dark eyes seemed to pierce him through the reflective surface.

“You’re a first year at Hogwarts? That’s wonderful!” Lan Xichen cut in from behind just as Wei Ying was about to give up on trying to converse with the younger boy. “It’s my brother’s first year, too. Lan Wangji has been pretty nervous about starting, but he’s very bright, so I’m sure he will be fine.” The older brother smiled and nudged him. The other boy just stared at this floor.

Nervous? Wei Wuxian wanted to laugh. He wasn’t sure this boy could be capable of nerves, judging from his demeanor. “Well, it’s nice to meet you,” he grinned. “I’m Wei Wuxian.” He was about to stick out his hand, but Madame Malkin forced his arms by his side when he tried to lift it.

“I’m Lan Xichen, and this is my uncle, Lan Qiren.” he gestured to the older man. Wei Ying smiled at him, Lan Qiren nodding politely back. “Like I said, Lan Wangji is a first year, but I’m going into my fourth.”

“You're a fourth year? Then, maybe you know my shijie by chance? Her name’s Jiang Yanli. She’s in her third year, I’m pretty sure.”

“Jiang Yanli? Yeah, I think I know her!” He said excitedly. “She’s the Hufflepuff quidditch team manager. I’ve seen her at the matches. I’m a chaser for Ravenclaw.”

“You play quidditch?” Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened. “That’s so cool! What’s it li-”

“All done, dear!” interrupted Madame Malkin as the tape measure rolled back up. “I’ll bill you over here.”

Wei Wuxian, a little grumpy he didn’t get the chance to ask the fourth year about quidditch, got out the coins given to him by Uncle Jiang. After the hassle of trying to remember how many sickles in a galleon, he managed to gather his now-paid-for robes. As much as he wanted to stay and discuss Lan Xichen’s chaser career, he knew Uncle Jiang would be worried if he was late. Picking up his books to leave, he said goodbye to the family.

“I’ll be seeing you, I guess,” He smiled.

“Definitely! We’ll keep an eye out for you at the welcoming feast.”

Wei Ying, still smiling, widened it a bit at Lan Wangji, who still hadn’t said a word to him. He just stared at him through the mirror and, as expected, nodded.

Okay…, he thought as he exited. Well, the older brother seemed nice enough. He juggled his things as he made his way next door to the ice cream parlour. He used all his coins on the robes, so he would just have to wait until Uncle Jiang and Jiang Cheng are done to get anything.

A little while later, the two emerged from the street and headed toward the outdoor seating area where Wei Ying was looking at one of his textbooks. In his brother’s hand was a large bronze cage holding a brown owl with black eyes that took up most of its face.

“Isn’t she gorgeous?” gleamed the young wizard. He held the cage like it was going to break at any moment, his hands wrapped around the top and bottom rather than just grasping the handle on top. “She’s a spotted wood owl. You can see all the spots on her wings, but her breast is actually striped. She’s also nocturnal, so she’s pretty tired right now.” The owl did look pretty sleepy, her large eyes half-lidded.

“What’d you name her?” inquired Wei Wuxian

“Princess.”

Wei Wuxian almost knocked over his chair as he threw his head back in laughter. “You named her _what_?”

“H-hey!” Jiang Cheng’s face was red. “She’s beautiful and graceful, like a princess! What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Uncle Jiang assured him gently. “It’s a great name for the owl. Wei Wuxian, cut it out this instant.” The family argued as Wei Ying continued to crack up.

Meanwhile, Lan Wangji and his brother just finished their fittings. The family was exiting the store when their eyes were drawn to what could only be described as a ruckus. The young boy from Madame Malkin’s was howling with laughter at one of the tables outside the ice cream parlour. Another boy sat next to him, attempting to yell over his laughter to no avail. Next to him was Jiang Fengmian, the head of the Jiang house, with a somewhat exasperated expression on his face.

Lan Qiren and Jiang Fengmian were well acquainted, both being some of the oldest pureblood families in the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He had high respect for him and knew him to be a just and kind man, unlike many other houses. With this in mind, he decided to greet him.

As they approached the table, Wei Ying’s laughter died in his throat.

“Hello, Jiang Fengmian,” the older man greeted.

“Lan Qiren!” smiled Uncle Jiang as he stood up to shake his hand. “So good to see you! And these must be the Twin Jades of Lan!” He gestured to the younger boys.

The Twin Jades of Lan? What the hell is that all about? Thought Wei Ying. Are they so well-known in the wizarding world that they already have a name for themselves?

“These are my boys, Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian,” Uncle Jiang introduced. Jiang Cheng stood up immediately and gave his head a slight bow in greeting. Wei Wuxian continued to sit in his chair, trying not to laugh at his brother’s ridiculousness.

“Ah, we met the young Wei Wuxian in Madame Malkin’s just earlier,” said Lan Qiren.

“Oh! You did?” Uncle Jiang glanced nervously at his adopted son.

“Yes, he was most kind to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, here.”

Jiang Fengmian’s shoulder relaxed a little. “That’s wonderful,” he smiled. “Boys, this is Professor Lan. Jiang Cheng, you know him from Jin Shan’s wedding a couple years ago. He teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. You’ll have him in just a few weeks.”

Holy shit, this guy is a professor? Maybe Wei Ying shouldn’t have been so casual around him. But, then again, it might be better if his standards aren’t set so high. Wei Wuxian has never been a good student behavior-wise, and he wouldn’t want the old man thinking he was some crown jewel only to be disappointed by his conduct.

“Nice to see you again, sir,” spoke Jiang Cheng politely.

Wei Wuxian, still in his seat, nodded at the professor with a cheeky grin. “We meet once more,” he heeded the two brothers standing next to him. “I didn’t expect to see you again _this_ soon.”

The taller boy smiled at him while Lan Wangji, his expression unreadable, nodded at him. _Again_. Does he ever speak?

“Well, we still have a lot of shopping to do so we better get going,” prompted Uncle Jiang. “It was great to see you! Especially your nephews. They’ve grown so tall since I last saw them!”

“It was good to see you, too,” said the old man. “Tell Madame Yu I said hello.”

With that, he bowed slightly and turned away. Lan Xichen waved goodbye, and Wei Wuxian enthusiastically waved back. He pivoted to bid farewell to Lan Wangji, but the stoic boy wasn’t even looking at him. In fact, he was already walking beside his father almost ten feet ahead of the table, that icy stare plastered on his pretty face. Wei Ying frowned. He hoped he wouldn’t have to encounter him much at school. He seemed like a real buzzkill.

-

The Jiang party was almost finished with their shopping some hours later. All that was left were the wands. It was dinner time by the time they reached Ollivander’s, the alley noticeably emptier. The excitement was practically bursting from Wei Ying’s skin as he stood in front of the shop’s painted windows.

“Okay, boys,” started Uncle Jiang. “I’m not going to go in with you, not at this place. This particular adventure is best left unaccompanied.” He looked at the shop with endearment.

Wei Ying decided to let Jiang Cheng go first so he could “test the waters” (Jiang Cheng scoffed at this. I mean, it’s a wand, he thought). Uncle Jiang took hold of his stuff as the wizard wandered in. A few minutes passed, and they began hearing bangs from inside. This only increased Wei Ying’s impatience.

“This was _your_ idea,” Uncle Jiang told the boy as he paced outside the shop. “May I remind you, he hasn’t even been in there for five minutes.”

“I know I know,” Wei Ying waved, “but he needs to hurry up! We don’t have all day. Look, the sun is setting already!” He gestured to the west in a sort of exasperated manner toward the orange sky.

Jiang Fengmian just shook his head, a slight smile on his lips.

The minutes ticked by slowly. When Jiang Cheng finally emerged from the shop, Wei Ying practically tackled him trying to reach the door. “Merlin’s beard!” he shouted as he was pushed to the side. “Aren’t you going to ask what happened? I thought that’s why I went first!”

Ignoring him, Wei Wuxian dashed into the building before halting at the sight of mountains of long, slender boxes in every color lining the walls. Floating candles illuminated the small room, dusty rows of shelves filled it with thousands more boxes. How many wands has this man made? How many wands _can_ you make? 

An old man stood smiling at him from behind the desk in front. He had on a long, red robe that almost hid his old and somewhat shaky hands. “Welcome, young man.” His voice was friendly.

Wei Ying was about to answer when the old wizard shuffled over to one of the shelves. He returned with a dark green box and opened it shakily before placing it on the desk. The boy just looked at him questioningly.

“Go on, try it out,” Ollivander pushed it toward him.

Wei Ying picked up the black wand, intricately carved with beautiful curving lines. He gave it a wave, pointing it at a wriggling potted plant in the corner. Immediately, the pot shattered. Wei Ying almost started laughing. Of course he had managed to break something not even a minute after he entered the place.

“Not a problem, not a problem,” assured the elderly man. He waved his own wand at the mess, and the shards of ceramic flew back into place. Having lived with the Jiang family for almost a year and breaking his fair share of fragile objects, he had seen this display of magic before. And yet, he never failed to be amazed at the wonders of magic.

Ollivander returned with a few more wands, each producing either an embarrassingly feeble response or sending the room into chaos. Wei Ying was close to frustration when the wand-maker slowly set a dark brown wand on the desk. The wand was long and straight, the carved handle wrapped with repeating horizontal lines. As the young wizard picked it up, he felt a strange, glowing sensation. Suddenly, beautiful red sparkles flew from its tip.

“Aha! I think we have found the one!” Ollivander grinned. “Yes, dogwood with dragon heartstring, fourteen and a half inches, and rather unyielding flexibility. Yes, yes… this is the one.”

Wei Ying’s heart skipped a beat. He finally had a wand to call his own. Even the weight of the object brought him an immense sense of comfort, like a he finally found the last missing puzzle piece. After quickly paying and thanking Ollivander, he exited the dusty shop beaming with joy.

“What wand did you get?” asked his brother, waiting outside with Uncle Jiang. “I got chestnut with a dragon heartstring core. Look!” He thrust his wand for the boy to see. It was beautiful, much more elegant than Wei Ying’s. It was light brown and straight as an arrow. The entire wand was decorated with small, delicate swirls that gradually got bigger as it traveled toward the handle.

After comparing wands, the family made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, where Madame Yu and Jiang Yanli waited for them. While Jiang Cheng conversed with him about his Ollivander’s experience (he almost seared off the old man’s beard), Wei Ying could only think about how excited he was for the years to come. He would finally escape the boring everyday life he lived for years and step into a world of magic-- not as an observer as he has been in the last year-- but as a participant. Life seemed to stretch with boundless opportunities the young wizard would have never thought possible. Universes he never imagined appeared in the shape of his dogwood wand. His life had meaning now, and Wei Ying sure as hell wasn’t going to waste it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> As I said earlier, I'm going to explain why I place each character in their respective houses when their houses are revealed. I chose Ravenclaw for Lan Xichen because, honestly, it felt right. Ravenclaws are known for being intelligent, which of course Lan Xichen is. But I think he fits in with the lesser side of a Ravenclaw's personality in that he is accepting and open to all forms of people, places, methods, and learning. This is evident with his relationship with Jin Guangyao who, besides being pretty fucking evil, is a little abnormal in his methods (infiltrating the Wen clan as a spy, for instance) and comes from a less accepted background. The second closest house for him would be Hufflepuff.
> 
> I chose Hufflepuff for Jiang Yanli because she she's just a peach. She's so kind and thoughtful and would do anything for the people she loves, even fiercely defending Wei Wuxian when Jin Zixun pulled that shit at the tournament that one time. I think some of the main Hufflepuff traits is kindness and loyalty to people they love, which Jiang Yanli embodies perfectly. 
> 
> Heres also some descriptions from the Pottermore website for the wands I chose:
> 
> Wei Wuxian - "Dogwood is one of my own personal favourites, and I have found that matching a dogwood wand with its ideal owner is always entertaining. Dogwood wands are quirky and mischievous; they have playful natures and insist upon partners who can provide them with scope for excitement and fun. It would be quite wrong, however, to deduce from this that dogwood wands are not capable of serious magic when called upon to do so; they have been known to perform outstanding spells under difficult conditions, and when paired with a suitably clever and ingenious witch or wizard, can produce dazzling enchantments. An interesting foible of many dogwood wands is that they refuse to perform non-verbal spells and they are often rather noisy."
> 
> Jiang Cheng - "This is a most curious, multi-faceted wood, which varies greatly in its character depending on the wand core, and takes a great deal of colour from the personality that possesses it. The wand of chestnut is attracted to witches and wizards who are skilled tamers of magical beasts, those who possess great gifts in Herbology, and those who are natural fliers. However, when paired with dragon heartstring, it may find its best match among those who are overfond of luxury and material things, and less scrupulous than they should be about how they are obtained. Conversely, three successive heads of the Wizengamot have possessed chestnut and unicorn wands, for this combination shows a predilection for those concerned with all manner of justice."
> 
> I thought they were pretty well-matched! 
> 
> Another side note, I completely made up Jin Shan. Just needed a family even name where they could both attend.


	3. Chapter 3

The roaring train gave Wei Wuxian quite a shock when he made it through the wall. Its black and red body sounded its deafening horn as he pushed his cart through the crowded platform. Jiang Cheng was next to him, his owl perched in his metal cage on top of the mass of trunks in his cart. Wei Ying only brought two cases since he didn’t really have a lot of possessions. Besides his school supplies, they were all filled with clothes and his flute. Scared that it might break, he wrapped it in three different shirts before he packed it. Jiang Cheng claimed he was just paranoid, but Wei Ying was adamant. 

The flute was given to him by his parents on his eighth birthday He always talked about wanting to play an instrument, so his parents gave him a choice of any one of the woodwinds since they were relatively small and less expensive than, say, a bassoon. He found reed instruments made his lips uncomfortably numb, so saxophone and clarinet were out of the question. That really only left the flute, not that he was complaining. He loved and cherished that silver metal stick like it was his son. 

For the next year, he took lessons regularly and was actually quite good. Well, as good as you can be when you’ve been playing for a year and are ten years old. He could proudly play hot cross buns from memory to the annoyance of his poor parents. Yet, before he could enter fourth grade and, finally, become eligible for the school band, the accident happened. 

His father was a successful doctor at the university’s hospital and studied some rare neurological disease. He was invited to a conference out of the area to give a presentation on his studies. He invited his wife along, planning to leave early in the morning and arrive back home before supper time. 

Wei Ying was in his math lesson when the principle called him out of the room to tell him the news. The roads were icy, he said. They tried to stop when the semi-truck began to drift sideways along the ice, he said. The truck driver also died, he said. Because he had no living relatives, he would be put in foster care, he said. And he said. And he said. 

The next year consisted of running from child services and surviving off petty theft. Despite his impoverished state, he would rather starve than suffer some systematic mental breakdown under some stranger’s roof. He wanted freedom to grieve, freedom to lash out at the injustice of the world. He wanted to mourn his parents instead of replace them with some outsider who’s getting paid to feed him. 

“Wei Ying!” 

The boy snapped out of his trance at the sound of his first name. Jiang 

Cheng was waving his hands in front of his eyes. They were all standing in the middle of the platform, surrounded by the sound of farewells from parents as their children brushed by to board the train.

“You okay?” Uncle Jiang placed his hand on his shoulder, his face concerned. 

“Yeah, no, I’m good,” Wei Wuxian brushed off his hand. “Just trying to remember if I got everything from home.” He put on his signature goofy smile in an effort to convince him. He didn’t need Uncle Jiang or anyone else worrying about him now, not when they are about to say goodbye. 

His surrogate father ruffled his hair in response. From his eyes, Wei Ying could tell he didn’t believe him. Nevertheless, he respected his decision not to talk about it. Some conversations are not meant for the current time or place.

The horn bellowed once more, signaling the fifteen minutes until departure. “We better get on before all the compartments are taken,” Jiang Cheng said. 

Madame Yu hugged Jiang Yanli and her brother tightly, instructing them to behave. “Act like the children of Ministry officials should,” she asserted, referencing her and Jiang Fengmian’s jobs as heads of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. “I don’t want to receive a single owl detailing any sign of misbehavior. I won’t hesitate to send a howler in response.”

The siblings shivered. Getting a howler in front of everyone in the great hall would be the talk of the school for at least the rest of the year. In other words, social suicide. They nodded in understanding at their mother’s rather harsh farewell. 

Uncle Jiang kissed them each on top of their head, Wei Wuxian included, and embraced them tightly. “I love you, kiddos,” he said gently. “We’ll write as soon as we can. Make sure to answer, so we know you made it there safely. Also, let us know what house you’re sorted into, boys. Now, hurry or you’ll miss the train!” He pushed them all towards the door of the nearest car. 

Waving goodbye, they all made their way inside the train. The narrow passageway was bustling with students, black robes billowing behind them as they dragged their bags toward a compartment. After searching the cars, the boys settled on one occupied by two boys, one of which they knew. 

“Nie Huaisang, good to see you!” Jiang Yanli smiled at the nervous boy sitting by the window. She was helping with Jiang Cheng with his many trunks and wanted to make sure they found a place to sit. 

“Jiang Yanli! It’s a p-pleasure,” the boy stuttered in reply. The Nie family was another prominent pureblood family and has attended many weddings, funerals, and gatherings alongside the Jiangs. Naturally, Jiang Yanli recognized the youngest member as a friend. 

“Okay, since you guys are all settled,” the witch began, “I’m going to go sit with my friends. If you need anything, I’ll be twelve doors up towards the front of the train. You have the money Dad gave you for the trolley?”

The siblings nodded and held out the sickles Jiang Fengmian gave them before they left. 

“Okay,” she smiled. “If you don’t need me, then I’ll see you at the sorting ceremony.” With that, she exited the compartment, sliding the door shut with a small _click_. 

The train sounded its last horn and, slowly, began to chug its way forward. The brothers opened the window next to their seats, leaning out and waving frantically at Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu. Well, Jiang Cheng was waving at Madame Yu. Wei Wuxian just avoided eye contact with her as he blew Uncle Jiang a fat kiss. 

The train pulled out of the station, and a blur of houses replaced the sight of the platform. Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying sat back down, their hair wild and tangled from the wind. The younger brother’s hair was longer than his, so he had to take some time to brush it down. Wei Ying didn’t have long hair. In fact, he thought his hair was a pretty normal length until he was introduced to the wizarding world, where everyone’s hair was at least long enough for a ponytail. Even the two boys across from him had long hair. Well, Nie Huaisangs brushed the top of his shoulders, but the unnamed wizard next to him had hair long enough to reach his butt. 

“Hey guys,” Nie Huaisang said awkwardly. Even though he and Jiang Cheng have known each other since they were young, they weren’t really that close. He and Wei Wuxian have only met once, in passing, during a trip to the Jiang family manor on business. His older brother needed to consult the head of the department, Jiang Fengmian, on some Auror affair he was investigating. Nie Huaisang was dragged along since no one was home to watch him. The meeting was brief, however, so the young wizard didn’t get a chance to interact with the family very much, if at all. 

“This is Meng Yao,” he introduced the smiling boy next to him. “He lives next door to me. We’ve been friends since we were little.”

Meng Yao stuck out his hand in greeting. “Pleasure to meet you both.” His eyes were undeniably eager. For what, Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure. 

Wei Wuxian looked at his outstretched hand and laughed. “Dude, we’re not in a business meeting. You don’t have to be so formal.” 

Meng Yao’s blinding smile didn’t falter as his hand lowered back toward his lap, where he intertwined his fingers in the center. He looked like he was posing for a headshot, stiff and artificial. 

The room was silent, and moments passed by awkwardly. Thankfully, the trolly witch passed by to save the insufferable atmosphere. Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Nie Huiasang loaded their pockets with Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Acid Pops, Fizzing Whizbees, and much more. Nie Huaisang bought extra for Meng Yao. “He can’t afford much,” explained Nie Huaisang as they practically emptied the cart. “I don’t mind sharing what I have, but he’s pretty sensitive about it.” They agreed not to mention it in front of him

Surrounded by treats, tarts, and a rainbow of snacks, the pre-teens dug in. The awkwardness seemed to disappear as they all made conversation in-between snacks. 

“Hey, does anybody the Circe card? She’s all I’m missing for the ancient wizards set.” Jiang Cheng held a struggling chocolate frog in between his teeth.

“Yeah, actually I do,” Nie Huaisang was digging through his pack to find his bundle of trading cards. “I’ll trade you for Wen Mao.” They exchanged their cards, Jiang Cheng giving out a “yes!”

“Who is Wen Mao anyway?” Wei Wuxian asked. He knew Circe from his history class in muggle school when they learned about Ancient Greece. Wen Mao must be one of the famous wizards that only the wizarding world knows about. Jiang Cheng has started collecting the cards since he got a bunch of them for Christmas last year, and he liked to research the different names. Many were all the same, founding this and that cure or defeating this and that monster, but some proved to be very interesting. Wei Wuxian especially liked Dumbledore’s and his defeat of Grindelwald not even that long ago. 

“Wen Mao is the founder of the Wen family,” Meng Yao explained. His slightly weasel-like face was scrunched up in disgust as he popped a yellow jelly bean from Bernie Botts Every Flavour Beans in his mouth. “Gross, earwax. But, yeah, he basically founded the whole pureblood thing.” 

“Yup,” piped in Jiang Cheng. “He’s the one that suggested magic should be connected by blood-ties and all that crap. He was actually a pretty decent guy, though. He hated people that used magic for their own evil purposes and would behead them if he found them guilty. Ironic, looking at the Wen’s now.”

Wei Wuxian still wasn’t that well-versed on wizard culture, especially the houses. He personally thought the pureblood thing was kind of stupid and wasn’t afraid to say so. Luckily, Uncle Jiang agreed with him but told him that he should keep that to himself. Many old wizarding families have a lot of pride in their bloodline, and to insult it would be equivalent to insulting their entire heritage.

“Well, what’s wrong with the Wen family?” he asked, curious about this supposedly bad blood.

“What _isn’t_ wrong with them?” Nie Huaisang sighed. “The head of the family, Wen Ruohan, was just in Azkaban for setting dementors on a group of muggles almost six years ago.”

“Wait, he sent out _dementors_ and only got six years?”

“Six years in Azkaban is like six lifetimes in hell,” Meng Yao said, moving from the jelly beans to the sugar quills. “If anything, his kids are gonna grow up to be just as bad.”

“Yeah, pretty sure that both his sons go to Hogwarts now,” explained Jiang Cheng. “Wen Xu is going into his sixth year, I think, and Wen Chao is only a grade above us. They’re both assholes from what I hear, Wen Chao especially.”

“What houses are they in?”

“Slytherin, of course.”

“Hey, not all Slytherins are bad, you know,” interrupted Meng Yao. 

“Oh please,” Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes. “Every dark wizard came from that house. How is it in any way good? And isn’t their whole schtick about blood purity and shit?”

“Okay, not every Slytherin ends up a saint, but that doesn’t mean every one of them is like Wen Ruohan.”

“Tell that to practically every Slytherin that worships the ground he walks on.”

“I need to pee,” Wei Wuxian announced abruptly before the argument got even more heated. Knowing his brother, it was only a matter of time. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Oh, um, I think I passed it on the way in. It should be towards the back,” explained Nie Huaisang. 

“Thanks.” 

Wei Ying left the compartment, rolling the door shut behind him. He made his way down the narrow corridor, laughter and incessant chatter coming from the rooms to his right. He glanced through the windows. From nervous first-years to sleeping sixth years, the train was full of life. If this is just the train, the first year could only imagine the school. And he was going to be a part of it! He practically skipped to the bathroom.

Finishing up, he washed his hands and wiped them dry on his robes. He made his way back before stopping in his tracks at the sound of a familiar voice call out his name. 

“Wei Wuxian!” Lan Xichen poked his head out of one of the doors behind him. “Hey! Sorry, I know I keep bothering you. First, at the Fortescue’s and now here!” He laughed.

“No! I swear you’re all good,” assured Wei Ying confidently. “Trust me, it’s nice to have a familiar face around here.” 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Hey, why don’t I introduce you to some of my friends. More familiar faces, ya know? Lan Zhan is here, too” He gestured for him to come inside. Lan Zhan? Wei Ying looked through the window. Oh, it was Lan Wangji he was referring to, he realized, seeing the stoic young wizard gaze out the window. Across from him were two other wizards, sitting on the seat facing each other, looking rather serious as they stared at a wizard chessboard.

Wei Ying rolled open the door, catching Lan Wangji’s attention. His dark eyes looked a bit surprised. Funny, this was the first time Wei Ying had ever seen this boy express any sort of emotion.

“Hey guys,” Lan Xichen announced with a grin. “This is Wei Wuxian. He’s about to be a first year.” 

“Sup,” Wei Wuxian waved. 

“Welcome aboard, first year!” Smiled one of the boys, looking up from his game. He had long hair that was tied up in high bun, though it was drooping to one side. He had gentle features and bright, kind eyes. “My name’s Xiao Xingchen.” His thin frame reached over to give his hand a quick shake. 

“This right here is Song Lan,” he said, gesturing to the boy across from him. “He would say hello, but it’s his turn, and I’m beating him pretty badly at the moment. He’s going to want to focus.” He laughed as the other boy furrowed his brows at the board in front of him. He held his hand to his chin in concentration.

“Nice to meet you guys. Mind if I sit, Lan Wangji?” The young wizard pointed toward the open spot next to him. Lan Wangji averted his eyes, staring back out the window towards the rolling hills. A moment later, he shook his head. “No. You may sit.”

“Ah, so he speaks! I was beginning to worry.” Wei Ying plopped down next to him, leaning forward to watch the chess game. Lan Wangji just continued to stare out the window.

“Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan are both in Ravenclaw with me,” explained Lan Xichen as he took a seat on the other side of Wei Wuxian. “They’re going into their third year.”

“Mhm,” grunted Song Lan. “C6 to b8. Check.” The red knight on the board rode over on his horse and stomped on the bishop, shattering him. 

“Oh, man! I didn’t even see that!” Xiao Xingchen stared at the remains of his bishop. 

“You always forget about the knight.”

Surrounded on all sides, the king had nowhere to move. Thus, the game was over, Song Lan being the victor. “I really thought you had him that time,” Lan Xichen laughed. “Well––what is that now–– sixteen to nineteen?” 

“ _Seventeen_ to nineteen, my friend,” corrected Xiao Xingchen. “That game would’ve tied us up if I won.”

“But you didn’t,” Song Lan said with a small smile. 

“But I didn’t.” Xiao Xingchen repeated, returning it. He packed up the board and urged the marching figures back into the box. “C’mon, guys, you had your fun.”

Wei Wuxian smiled. He didn’t know what house he would be in, deciding not to worry about it too much after seeing Jiang Cheng make a whole two page pros and cons list for each house. But, if this is how the Ravenclaws acted, he wouldn’t mind one bit. 

“Are you guys on the quidditch team with Lan Xichen?” he inquired. He never did get to finish his conversation in Madam Malkin’s. He wanted to know what it was like, flying on broomsticks and concentrating on all the different balls. While Jiang Cheng and his shijie have flown before, Wei Ying never had the privilege. Every time the subject came up, Madame Yu would start a tirade about how “muggles can’t even fly on brooms” and “even if he could, he would only smash it into a tree”. She claimed she didn’t want the broomsticks to break due to Wei Ying’s admittedly sizable list of damaged goods, but everyone knew she just had it out for the boy. 

“Oh, yeah, actually. We’re beaters for Ravenclaw.” Song Lan answered. He took the chess box from his friend and folded it up before stuffing it into his trunk above his seat. “That’s how we met the king himself.” He gestured to Lan Xichen, whose face was now slightly pink.

“Oh, come off it,” Xiao Xingchen elbowed Song Lan playfully. “But yeah, we’ve been beaters since last year, so we haven’t been on very long.” 

“That’s so cool!” marveled Wei Wuxian. “Man, I wish first years could try out. I would love to play! Wouldn’t you, Lan Wangji?” 

Turning to face him, the pale boy couldn’t help but look surprised again. He stared at the floor for a moment, thinking, presumably. “No,” he said, finally. 

“What?” exclaimed the young boy dramatically. “Do tell as to why.”

“It’s foolish and dangerous.” He said no more and just looked forward, tight-lipped and expressionless. 

“He’s got a point,” interceded Song Lan. “Most first years don’t even know how to fly a broom, so having them try out for quidditch is pretty reckless.”

“Yeah, I guess…”

“There you are!” the rolling door slammed open, revealing Jiang Cheng’s angry face. “Galloping Gorgons, I’ve been looking for you! I thought you hopped off the train or something!”

“Oh, was I keeping you, Wei Wuxian?” Lan Xichen looked apologetically at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.” 

“No, no, don’t worry about it,” he asserted. 

“Jiang Cheng, my apologies. I assure you Wei Wuxian wasn’t avoiding you on purpose,” said Lan Xichen.

“It’s not a problem, Lan Xichen,” Jiang Cheng gave a sort of pathetic half bow. Wei Wuxian snorted. 

“You should get back, though,” expressed Xiao Xingchen. “We’re nearly there from what I can tell.” 

“Well, I guess I’ll be taking my leave then,” Wei Wuxian declared. “It was nice meeting you guys.” He waved goodbye to the two chess players. “It was nice to see you again, Lan Xichen. You, too, Lan Wangji.” The latter just gave his usual nod in response.

“I hope we run into each other again,” the elder brother smiled as he said farewell. 

The two first years walked back to their compartment to pack up their mess of wrappers and strewn candies. The sun was nearly set as the train pulled into a station with a large sign that read “Hogsmeade.” 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another late update. I was planning to finish editing it today, but an honest-to-god emergency came up, which I obviously prioritized. I don't know if I will update next week due to this emergency, but the week after I will for sure. Sorry about all this :(


	4. Chapter 4

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here!” A large man with a thick and bushy black beard was holding a lantern above his head, shouting on the platform. He stood at least a couple feet taller than the rest of the crowd so his figure was easy to spot. 

Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng dragged their trunks over to him. Nie Huaisang and Meng Yao trailed behind them. They left their luggage in a pile by the wall and walked over to the docks with the rest of the first years. As directed by the large man, who said his name was Hagrid, they each boarded a small boat floating in a large, black lake. 

“Better not touch the water,” warned Wei Ying to his brother. “The monster at the bottom might drag you down and devour you whole.”

“Oh, what do you know?” scoffed Jiang Cheng. But he climbed in the wooden canoe with the utmost caution, looking at the black water with apprehension. 

“E’erybody in? Okay, off we go!” Hagrid led the cluster of boats away from the docks. Wei Ying rocked the boat a few times to his brothers horror, but quit once the castle lights began to appear. 

“Holy shit,” Nie Huaisang whispered behind the siblings. Wei Ying had to agree as he basked upon the castle. It was  _ enormous.  _ The building sat on top of a hill, its dozens of turrets practically disappearing in the dark clouds. The lights from the hundreds of windows were so numerous they looked like stars, the stone almost blending in the night sky. 

They pulled in below the structure in another dock area. Hagrid practically lifted students out of the boats when they accepted his hand for assistance. The made their way up the slope and entered through a large stone opening. After weaving through the complicated sets of corridors, they soon arrived in front of a great set of double doors (“They must be three stories, at least,” whispered Jiang Cheng) that presumably led to the great hall, as they heard the loud chatter of students from beyond it. 

“Thank you, Hagrid,” came a voice to their left. A stern looking woman in green robes walked in front of the nervous crowd of first years. Hagrid gave them all a cheerful wave and descended down the steps and out of sight. 

“Welcome, students,” the woman exclaimed. Her voice wasn’t exactly unkind, but it did little to quell Wei Ying’s rapid heartbeat. “I am Professor McGonagall. Soon, you will be sorted into one of four different houses: Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. While you are here, your house will be like your family. Points are awarded to your house for exceptional behavior, and taken away for any rule breaking or otherwise. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup.” Her hair was pulled into a tight bun that lay just below her tall pointed hat. She looked very serious. 

She folded her hands, continuing, “If you will follow me, please, and we can get started. Remember, you will be in front of the entire school, so your best behavior is expected.”

That last part was a bit unnecessary, Wei Ying thought. The students around him looked like they were about to pee their robes, anyway. Not that he could blame them. If anything, he was just as nervous. He never cared what house he was going to be put in, but now it seemed like a matter of life and death. 

Uncle Jiang and Shijie ware both Hufflepuffs, but Madame Yu was a Gryffindor, and he knew Jiang Cheng wanted to be in Gryffindor as well. Whether it was to please his mother or just because of his charts and lists, Wei Ying wasn’t sure. Nevertheless, he wanted to stay with him no matter what, so Gryffindor was looking pretty good right now. But, those Ravenclaws on the train were so welcoming and he already knew some of them so making friends would be much easier… 

All these thoughts were swirling his head when Jiang Cheng tugged on his robes to follow the group of first-years who shuffled through the doors behind Professor McGonagall. All the students seemed to walk a little slower than the professor, gazing in awe at the hall. The massive room was filled four long tables, each adorned with their house colors and packed with students. Above them, the roof seemed to open to the heavens, the velvety night sky sprinkled beautiful stars. 

“Is that real?” Jiang Cheng asked beside him, pointing to the ceiling, or lack there of. Wei Ying shrugged as he joined in basking at its beauty. 

They reached the front and were greeted by a raggedy hat perched on a stool, covered in patches and frayed at its rim. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and the low murmurs from the tables ceased. “Now, when I call your name please step forward and place the Sorting Hat on your head. When it announces your house, have a seat your respective table.” 

“What house do you think you will get in?” whispered Nie Huaisang, standing beside him. “I hope I get in Gryffindor. I heard that’s where all the best witches and wizards get sorted. Plus, my brother will probably kill me if I’m sorted elsewhere…” His face was contorted with worry. Before Wei Ying could say anything to cheer him up, Professor McGonagall began to call names.

“Albert, Emily.”

A girl to Wei Ying’s left nervously climbed onto the stool. The hat fell over her eyes and, in less than a minute, bellowed “Hufflepuff!” The Hufflepuffs cheered loudly as the girl set the hat back on the stool and headed for the table. 

“Armour, Rachel.” Another anxious-looking girl went and placed the hat over her head.

“Slytherin!” More cheers erupted from the table at the other end of the hall. 

“Blythe, Paul.”

“Hufflepuff!”

“Dolan, Benjamin.”

“Gryffindor!”

Professor McGonagall read down the list. The hat took only a few moments to bellow out the student’s houses. Some took sortings longer than others, but every decision was made in only moments. The J’s were reached only within the next few minutes. 

“Jiang, Wanyin.”

Wei Ying gave his brother a thumbs up as he climbed onto the stool. He returned only a sly, confident smile toward him as he slipped on the hat. Sure enough, the hat shouted “Gryffindor!” only a moment later. Jiang Cheng snuck a fist bump to his brother as he made his way past him toward the Gryffindor table. 

“Lan, Wangji.”

Wei Ying watched the boy calmly walk up to the stool. It seemed like he was the only student who wasn’t nervous, his face conveying no emotion as the frayed hat enveloped his face. 

“Ravenclaw!” The hat hollered barely ten seconds later. With neither a look of triumph nor defeat, the pale boy made his way over to his brother who was standing and clapping with the rest of the table. 

Two students later, Nie Huaisang’s name was called. If Wei Ying was nervous, this poor boy looked like he was about to faint. Wei Ying patted him in support on the back as he slid past him towards the hat. “Good luck.” The boy gave him a nervous smile. 

Three whole minutes passed before the hat finally announced, “Hufflepuff!” The look on Niew Huaisang’s face could only be described as disappointment.

The list continued on. Minutes passed by slowly as Professor McGonagall inched toward the W’s near the bottom. Finally, after a girl named Josephine Wallace, his name was called.

“Wei, Wuxian!”

He climbed the steps with his heart beating faster than ever, his eyes never leaving the old hat. He picked it up, and climbed up onto the stool. With one last look at the hall, he placed the too-large-hat over his head. 

“ _ Interesting… _ ” came a voice, seemingly from inside his own head. The hat must be communicating telepathically. “ _ A lot of power, but a strong sense of justice. So much potential… _ ”

What is is that supposed to mean? thought Wei Ying. 

“ _ Ah, and a lot of anger too, I see, _ ”  __ the hat said whimsically. “ _ You would do well in Slytherin, you know. Yes, your ambition would know no bounds. _ ”

But I want to be with my brother, Wei Ying retorted toward the hat.

“ _ Strong familial ties, another Slytherin trait… But I see your heart is set elsewhere… Better be…  _ GRYFFINDOR!” The hat verbally shouted the house name with vigor. Wei Wuxian removed the hat to see Jiang Cheng cheering louder than half the table. He practically skipped towards him and took a seat to his right. His nerves vanished almost instantly and he just couldn’t stop smiling. 

“Can you believe we’re in the sa-” he started excitedly before Jiang Cheng cut him off with a shushing noise.

“I want to see where the Wens end up,” he said, extending his neck around his brother to watch a small girl put on the hat. Wei Ying punched his arm.

“You didn’t need to interrupt me,” frowned Wei Ying. “Wait, I thought the all the Wens were older than us?” 

“Well, yeah, Wen Ruohan’s children are, but these are his niece and nephew. They are sort of estranged from them since the dementors he released affected the nephew.”

“Hold on, Wen Ruohan attacked his own nephew?” Wei Ying was shocked. He thought this guy only attacked muggles, not his own family. 

“Not on purpose I don’t think. I’m pretty sure it was an accident. You know, a wrong place wrong time thing. The bastard is obsessed with blood, so I doubt he meant to have the dementors attack his own family.” 

The hat still didn’t say anything as it masked the girls head. It had been a almost three minutes already. Murmurs were starting to appear along the hall. This was the longest the hat had taken to reach a decision all evening.

“What are their names?” Wei Ying asked about the siblings. 

“Wen Qing and Wen Qionglin,” Jiang Cheng answered. “They’re twins, apparently, and the one in the hat now is the Wen Qing.”

Wei Ying looked at the student still sitting on the stool. The hat had now been on her head for about four and a half minutes. Now, the hall was past whispering and low chattering took its place. When it passed the five minute mark, the hall was positively rapt with attention. 

“Why’s it taking so long?”

“Damn, right at the end of the list, too.”

“I wonder which houses the hat is having trouble with?”

“Wow, I didn’t think I would live to see a Hatstall as a student.” The last remark came from his brother beside him. Before Wei Ying could ask, Jiang Cheng explained, “A hatstall is a when the hat takes longer than five minutes to make a decision. I think McGonagall was the last one to have one when it couldn’t decide between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.” Wei Ying stared at the young girl in awe. 

Finally, at exactly the six minute mark the hat shouted, “SLYTHERIN!” The table at the other end of the hall practically exploded with cheers. The young girl, looking rather pleased with herself, walked confidently toward the table and took a seat next to a slimy looking boy who patted her on the back as if he was proud of her. 

“Settle down, settle down,” Professor McGonagall said, mostly directed at the Slytherins who were still clapping and whooping due to their house claiming the first hatstall in fifty years. The hall hushed into a low whisper, and the teacher continued.

“Wen, Qionglin.”

A very nervous boy walked up the stairs toward the stool, looking over toward the Slytherin table. He was stealing nervous glances at his sister, Wei Ying realized, and saw Wen Qing give him an encouraging smile. He didn’t seem all that different. Maybe the dementor attack just addled his mind? Wen Qionglin placed the hat on his head.

“Hufflepuff!” The hat yelled not a minute later. Jiang Cheng made a hissing noise through his teeth. Wei Ying agreed. A Wen in Hufflepuff? That poor boy’s life is not going to be easy, especially at family gatherings. 

The list ended with a student named Peter Zaminski being sorted into Ravenclaw. As the hat and the stool were taken from the front of the hall, Wei Ying finally paid attention the teachers table that spread behind it. Both Hagrid and McGonagall were there. So was Lan Qiren, looking as serious as his nephew, his hair tied up in an identical blue ribbon. On the his right, however, stood a wizard with long white hair accompanied by an equally long beard. His blue eyes twinkled behind a pair of half moon spectacles. This must be Dumbledore, realized Wei Ying.

“Welcome!” his voice carried across the hall and everyone grew quiet almost immediately. “I’ll save the long speech for after dinner. For now, I will relay to you only two words: Let’s Eat!” Suddenly, mountains of food appeared on the table in front of the students. From rice to chicken wings, the options were endless. Wei Ying piled his plate alongside Jiang Cheng. His brother might have have a feast like this before, but all Wei Ying could think of was his time in the streets after his parents died. He never exactly starved, but it would be a lie to say he didn’t have that constant underlying ache in the pit of his stomach from his lack of consistent meals. Oh man, if his old self could see him now. 

After desert was eaten and everyone was full to bursting, the plates in front of them disappeared. Dumbledore, in his silky lavender robe, stood up once again. Without him even saying a word, the hall’s dull roar quieted to hushed whispers. 

“Once again, greetings!” He smiled kindly to the students. “To both our new students and our old, I bid you a luminous welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I hope your minds were not too addled by the long summer and are ready for the knowledge to come! To begin, our caretaker, Mr. Filch” ––he gestured graciously toward a grouchy looking man in the far corner, holding a rather ancient looking cat–– “has kindly asked me to remind you that the forbidden forest is off limits to all students, unless you would like to die a rather painful death.” Wei Ying snorted, but he seemed rather alone in what he thought was a humorous statement. 

“Wait, is he serious?” he asked Jiang Cheng.

“Don’t see why he wouldn’t be,” he shrugged in response. 

“You may check the other rules he asked me to relay outside Mr. Filch’s office on the fourth floor. Next, Madame Hooch would like to announce that quidditch tryouts will take place in two weeks time. See her for more information as to when each team has the pitch. Lastly, Professor Flitwick instructs anyone interested in any information on orchestra auditions to please see him in his office.”

Orchestra auditions? Wei Ying wondered if they had any flute positions open. He remembered his disappointment at being unable to play for his muggle school, and decided he would at least check it out. Who knows? Maybe he would actually get in. 

“I will not keep you from your warm beds any longer,” the headmaster continued. “First years, please follow the prefects to your dormitories. Goodnight!” He released them all with a flourish of his wand, the doors at the other end of the hall opening wide. Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng followed the small crowd of first years as they were led out the hall by a tall girl with a large, curly afro. “Stick together please!” she shouted as she walked through the crowded doorway. 

She led them around corner after corner until they reached a tower lined with moving portraits and filled to the top with staircases–– well,  _ moving _ staircases. Jiang Yanli told her brothers about the ever-changing stairways, but it still shocked Wei Ying to feel the stone shift under his feet as they climbed upward. 

The group reached a landing with a life-size painting of a large woman adorned with flowers. “Password?” she asked, staring at the group of students. 

“ _ Jobberknoll _ ,” answered the older girl. The painting opened up to reveal a human-size hole in the wall. The first years walked in one at a time until they all gathered in the middle of the room behind it. “This is the Gryffindor common room,” the prefect informed them. The room was the definition of comfortable. It was decked floor-to-ceiling with the color red, the walls covered in tiny lions that were actually moving if you looked closely. There was a fire place surrounded by cushy chairs and a plush rug adorning the stone below their feet. Desks and tables were scattered about the room, presumably to a provide a place for studying and other forms of schoolwork.

“Your dormitories are up the stairwell here. Girls are to the right and boys to the left. You’ll find your stuff is already brought up.” After she dismissed them to their rooms, They made their way to their rooms. Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng opened their door to reveal five four-poster beds aligned neatly in a half circle. Their stuff was indeed waiting for them like the prefect said.

They introduced themselves to their three other roommates; Qian Bo, Omar Goode, and Ben Dolan. They seemed nice, and just as eager as Wei Ying to start the year. Wei Ying was relieved to hear Qian Bo was also from a muggle family. At least he wasn’t the only one new to this magic thing–– though, to be fair, he was also more familiar with it than the other boy, as he had been living with the Jiangs for a year. Either way, Wei Ying was satisfied with his first impression of his new roommates. 

He and Jiang Cheng decided to unpack tomorrow as they were rather exhausted from the long day. This day marks the start of a new life, a life he never would have imagined possible. He truly felt like the luckiest person in the world, from the Jiangs adopting him into the family (ignoring Madame Yu, ofcourse) to the magnificent letter he received last October. That night, Wei Ying slept soundly, his heart content. 


	5. Chapter 5

The first day of classes arrived soon enough and Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Nie Huaisang (who hopped over from the Hufflepuff table) were busy comparing their timetables at breakfast. 

“Looks like Gryffindors have defense against the dark arts with the Ravenclaws first,” pointed out Jiang Cheng. “I heard Professor Lan is really good.”

“Seems pretty stiff to me,” Wei Wuxian replied. “He reminds me of Lan Wangji.”

“Well, yeah,” Nie Huaisang said in between bites of his french toast. “I mean, he is his nephew.”

“I know, I know, but Lan Xichen, you know, his  _ other _ nephew, is so chill.” Wei Ying grabbed the pitcher of orange juice and started filling his second glass. “Lan Wangji and his uncle are so stuck up all the time. It’s as if they’ve never had a normal conversation with friends before.” 

“Wei Ying-” Jiang Cheng began to scold him when the sound of a glass shattering from behind made them turn around. Nie Huaisang, who was sitting across from them and didn’t need to pivet to see what happened, immediately hid behind his black robes. 

A student, presumably ravenclaw since they were at their table, was dabbing their lap with a napkin, their back facing the boys. They had long black hair, the top half tied up in a delicate blue ribbon. 

“Oh shit,” whispered Wei Ying. 

Lan Wangji, doing all he could do to wipe up the spill of his beverage, stood up from the table and walked calmly over the shattered glass at his feet and toward the entrance to the hall. Once he was out of earshot, Jiang Cheng whacked his brother on the side of the head. “What the heck is wrong with you?” He practically seethed. 

“What? Okay yeah it wasn’t that nice but it’s not like I knew he was right behind me,” Wei Ying conceded while rubbing his scalp where he was hit. “It certainly wasn’t worth shattering a glass over.”

“That doesn’t matter, you idiot! The Lan’s are an important family that Dad has a lot of respect for. Don’t go ruining it on our first day!” Jiang Cheng was staring at him with fiery intensity. 

“Jesus, fine, fine,” Wei Ying gave in. His brother always had a high respect for the other pureblood families (except maybe the Wens), or just any authority in general. Wei Ying always figured it was a side effect of being raised  _ in  _ a pureblood family, because, if he was being honest, he didn’t really care. He learned a long time ago that even though someone might be older than him, that doesn’t make them any wiser. 

“Hey, it looks like we’ll be having a class at midnight on Wednesdays,” Nie Huaisang piped in after a few awkward moments. 

“Yeah, it’s the astronomy class with Professor Sinistra,” Wei Ying droned in reply. He was still sort of pissed from his brother’s outburst. “Shijie told us about it, said it was difficult to stay awake during it.”

“Oh,” muttered Nie Huaisang, his enthusiasm fading. 

-

There first lesson with Professor Lan proved to be surprisingly dull. Wei Ying figured a class that devoted its time purely to learn how to defend against evil wizards would be more exciting. Instead, he began the class by listing off rules.

“There will be no sleeping, eating, cheating, talking, goofing off, note-passing, or any other disrespectful behavior in this classroom,” He began almost the second the class took their seats. “You will only use your wands when instructed. I do not want to see any wand waving in this classroom unless I say so.” His face, emotionless and impassive, pierced the eyes of every student.

Well, almost every student. Wei Ying was hyper aware of Lan Wangji’s presence only three seats away. He was hoping the other boy wasn’t too mad at him for what he said. It was true and he would probably say it again, mind you, but that doesn’t mean he wanted the guy to be mad at him. Especially when it might jeopardize his chance of talking to Lan Xichen again. Wei Ying rather enjoyed their chats, and wouldn’t want that to end just because of a stupid comment. 

“Hey, Jiang Cheng,” Wei Ying whispered to his right. “Do you think Lan Wangji is still pissed at me?” Jiang Cheng ignored him and continued to look straight ahead. He gave a shooing motion with his hand to indicate his reluctance to speak with him. 

“Mr. Wei, is there a problem?” Professor Lan’s voice cut through Wei Ying’s thoughts. “Did I not make it perfectly clear only a moment ago that I will not tolerate any distractions in my class?”

“Yes, sorry,” replied Wei Ying a little sheepishly. He didn’t want to have this guy disliking him on day one, especially not when he already had reason enough to hate him for the stuff Lan Wangji overheard. 

“You would do well add a ‘sir’ to the end of that sentence next time, Mr. Wei,” the professor replied coldly. “Now, as I was saying, we will begin the first semester with ghosts…” Wei Ying began to tune him out. It wasn’t like ghosts and imps and whatever else weren’t interesting, its just he was so  _ dull.  _ His voice was practically a seething drone, dripping with authority but failing to hold the young Gryffindor’s attention. Thus, the lesson passed by slowly and painfully. 

When class was dismissed, Wei Ying hurried to catch Lan Wangji. “Lan Wangji!” He yelled to his back, but it was no use. The eagerness of students to exit the classroom was enough to cause a sizable gap between them. By the time he was out in the hall, the other boy had gone. 

“Hurry, we’re gonna be late for our herbology lesson,” Jaing Cheng hooked his arm onto his and pulled him from the doorway. Wei Ying followed reluctantly. Damn, Uncle Jiang was gonna kill him for this. Ruining a pureblood pact on the first day! He should’ve checked if he was near before he started talking all that talk. God, he was so stupid… 

-

Nie Huaisang practically fainted when Professor Sprout announced their lesson: repotting a spiky bush plant that retaliated by wacking you with its thorny branches when you got near it. Apparently, you have to use fire to tame it, so they were all given a candle wick and told to get planting. Every student’s hands were covered in scabs by the end of the hour. 

Next, the Gryffindors had potions with the Slytherins. Wei Ying wasn’t exactly looking forward to it, but he definitely wanted to catch a glimpse of that Wen twin that stumped the hat so badly at the welcoming feast. 

He and Jiang Cheng settled behind a two-person desk near the back. They were a little early since they decided to skip Professor Sprout’s offer to bandage their hands. Both of the boy’s hands were fine, they insisted. In reality, Wei Ying’s hands were on fire. That stupid spiky bush plant really did a number on his palms, but it’s too late now. He wasn’t going to miss a lesson for a few scratches, much less admit to Jiang Cheng that he was lying. 

The class shuffled in shortly afterward, the Gryffindor’s hand’s bandaged but the Slytherin’s nice and spotless. They probably didn’t have herbology today, Wei Ying guessed. Meng Yao gave him a shy wave as he entered in with the crowd. After examining each student intently as they walked through the dungeon door, he finally saw her: the hat stall girl, Wen Qing. 

She was pretty, he noticed rather immediately. Other than that, though, she didn’t seem all that special. No cool ribbon or interesting scar or anything seemed to adorn her features. Even her entrance was normal; just talking with her classmates, her arms full of books. Hmph. Wei Ying was a little disappointed. He didn’t know what he was expecting, to be honest. Maybe something to take his mind of Lan Wangji, perhaps. 

“Welcome, first years!” A portly old man with a balding head entered the room. He wore a tweed jacket that looked like it was about to burst from his rather large girth. His face was beaming. “I am Professor Slughorn, and I welcome you to your very first potions lesson!”  _ This  _ was the head of the slytherin house? He seemed quite nice, Wei Ying thought. 

“For your first lesson, I was going to do a simple forgetfulness potion, but an opportunity came up in which Madame Pomfrey, our school nurse, was in dire need of a cure for boils. I thought, why not make that our first lesson?” He smiled excitedly. “Now, all you will need to do is follow the directions in your textbooks. Make sure when you add the porcupine quills, you take the cauldron  _ off _ the fire, otherwise it will melt and produce a rather foul odor. Before we begin, can anyone tell me how you will be able to tell your potion was successful?” He looked around. No hands were raised. “Come on, tell me at least some of you read ahe-”

“A successful concoction will have pink smoke, won’t it?” Wei Ying blurted out, his hand at his side. He hadn’t even bothered to raise it.

“Excellent! Mr– er…” 

“Wei. My name’s Wei Wuxian, sir.” He added that last part hastily, Professor Lan’s retort burnt into his mind. 

“Well, you are correct, Mr. Wei! Ten points to Gryffindor!” The Gryffindors around him quietly voiced their support. “When you are finished, please leave it on your desk and I will deliver the successes to Madame Pomfrey. Now, off you go!”

All the ingredients were laid out on the table before them, so all they needed to do was follow the instructions. Next to him, Jiang Cheng got busy crushing his snake fangs. When Wei Ying tried however, the friction from the handle used to grind the fangs rubbed against his still tender hands. 

Those spiky bushes were a real pain, and Wei Ying might have been a little careless. He wasn’t exactly patient, and kept trying to out-smart the thing by grabbing it faster than it could whip him with its thorny branches. Safe to say it didn’t exactly work, and Wei Ying might have underexaggerrated his pain. Blood eventually dripped from his wounded palms into the bowl of powdered fangs. 

Great, Wei Ying thought. Now his main ingredient was completely useless. 

He winced at the sight of his blistered hands. Before he could hide it, his brother snatched his wrist. “Dude!” His face was full of bewilderment. “Is this from herbology? Why didn’t you have Professor Sprout bandage you? What the hell?”

“I’m fine, Jiang Cheng,” He ripped his arm from his grasp. “I just need some new snake fangs.” He wasn’t going to admit his foolishness now, not in front of his brother and especially not in front of his teacher. 

“No,” Jiang Cheng grabbed him again before he could walk off to grab the ingredient. “You’re just going to make it worse, you idiot.” He looked angrier than usual. “You’re so stubborn sometimes,” he added under his breath as he dragged him over to a cabinet on the other side of the room. Jiang Cheng started plundering through the storage for rags or something that they could wrap Wei Yings hands in. 

“What are you doing?” huffed a voice behind them. They turned. It was that hat stall girl, Wen Qing. Her pretty face was contorted in a look of extreme annoyance. “If you need an ingredient, they should be on the desk.”

“What’s it to you?” Wei Ying replied with an eye roll. He stuffed his hands between his armpits. 

“Well considering you’re right next to my station”–she gestured to the right where her table stood–“and you’re making a lot of ruckus rummaging through the cabinets, I say that qualifies as business ‘to me’.” She glared at them, her arms folded.

“Hey, I found something,” Jiang Cheng said. He had still been searching for rags while Wen Qing was talking. He pulled out what looked like an old robe, covered in dust. “Do you think this will work?” 

Forgetting about the Slytherin girl’s presence behind him, Wei Ying pulled out his hands. However, before Jiang Cheng could behind wrapping the dingy robe around his continuously bleeding hands, Wen Qing yanked it away. 

“Hey!” Wei Ying exclaimed.

“Do  _ not _ tell me you were doing to wrap up your bleeding hands with a moth-eaten old robe?” She was practically glaring into his soul at this point. She held up the robe with two fingers, as if disgusted by its very existence. 

“Well I mean–” “Listen we–” Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying both started at the same time attempting to explain the situation. Wen Qing cut them off by grabbing Wei Ying’s tie. She began undo the knot, ignoring both the boy’s protests. Before Jiang Cheng could stop her, she whipped it over the young wizard’s head. She took his wrists and held them out, and began wrapping the tie around his injury. “Dont let the tie slack. You want to keep pressure on it.” 

“What’s all the ruckus?” Professor Slughorn’s voice interrupted Wei Ying’s shock at the whole situation. “Why aren’t you guys at your station?” His eyes darted to the tie wrapped around one of Wei Ying’s hands, then to the still exposed and rather blister-ridden hand. 

“Sorry professor,” Wen Qing said. “My friend here injured his hands from herbology earlier and was trying to find a bandage. Is it all right if I take him to Madame Pomfrey’s?” Wei Ying tried to hide his look of bewilderment. What was she doing?

“Of course, dearie!” the Professor’s eyes were still on the boy’s hand. “Yes, I think that’s best. I will excuse your lesson for today, Mr. Wei, but next time you have to have a make-up lesson.”

“Thanks, Professor,” He smiled at him before being led away by Wen Qing. They walked toward the hospital wing in silence, the heels of their shoes echoing in the empty halls. She walked a few steps ahead of him, occasionally looking behind to check to see if the bleeding stopped. Well, that or she was making sure he was putting pressure his hand like she instructed. 

“Hey, I wanted to ask you something,” Wei Ying interjected the silence as they climbed out of the dungeons. “How did you know I messed up my hands from herbology?” 

She was silent at first. Wei Ying was about to repeat himself to make sure she heard him when she answered, “Because my brother had herbology then, too.”

“Wait your brother was in my class?” Wei Ying thought back on the nervous Hufflepuff from the welcoming feast. Granted, he was a little busy, but he didn’t even notice him in the greenhouse. 

“Yes. I ran into him on the way to potions and his hands were bandaged. I figured you must have had the same class from the look of it.” 

“Woah! That’s pretty clever! Hey, was Ravenclaw the other house the Sorting Hat was debating about? You know, from your hatstall?” 

She stopped in her tracks. Though Wei Ying couldn’t see her face, he noticed her body became tense. She suddenly spun around and walked past him the opposite direction. 

“Hey, wait–”

“The hospital wing is straight down the hall and to the left. You can’t miss it.” With that, she marched back toward the dungeons, leaving Wei Ying speechless. 

You just never know when to keep your mouth shut, do you? He scolded himself. This was the second time today he unknowingly pissed someone off. If he keeps this up, half the school is going to hate him. 

He slowly continued walking again. He found the wing easily thanks to Wen Qing’s instructions, and Madame Promfrey rubbed a salve that had his hands fully healed within the hour. But, if he was honest, his spotless hands did nothing to relieve his anxiety. He had only one question on his mind: what the _hell_ was he going to do about the Lan Wangji situation? 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and get into a more regular schedule. The next two updates will be every other week and after that I will continue with the once a week updates. Thanks for your patience! 
> 
> P.S. sorry if I don't respond to your comments! I appreciate them and I read them all but I'm just a little shy, honestly. But thanks for leaving them. They make me smile!


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of the week consisted of Wei Ying shuffling through classes and attempting to get Lan Wangji’s attention. Every time he saw him, whether in defense against the dark arts or in the dining hall, the other boy always managed to evade him before he could get a chance to speak to him. 

“Why are you so obsessed with him?” Jiang Cheng asked, aggravated at Wei Ying as his eyes darted around the great hall during lunch the following weekend. “Every day you look around as if hes ever gonna stop and listen to you. Dad probably doesn’t even care at this point. Plus, don’t you have that orchestra audition to be worrying about instead?” Wei Ying brushed off that last comment. He would worry about that later. This matter was much more important.

It’s true that Uncle Jiang had said anything about the Lan family in his letters to him and Madame Yu has yet to send him a howler (or any letter for that matter). But Wei Ying couldn’t shake off the feeling that if Uncle Jiang found out, he would rightfully blame the severing of an ancient pureblood pact on him, a scrawny eleven-year-old. He might be kicked out of the family, forced to live in an orphanage during the summers and unable to talk to Jiang Cheng ever again. Just the thought of it brought him so much anxiety, it consumed his waking thoughts. He knew he was being paranoid, but that didn’t stop him from trying to reach out to Lan Wangji. He had to get this resolved, or he might no have a home to live in anymore. 

“Listen, I just need to do this, okay?” Wei Ying replied, aggravated at Jiang Cheng’s constant annoyance. He just doesn’t get it. He’s never been at risk of losing his family, he wouldn’t understand, Wei Ying reasoned with himself. Packing up his things, he hurried out of the hall towards the Ravenclaw tower. If the guy was avoiding him, he will just have to go to the one place he can’t. 

After getting directions from a few of the portraits along the way, he finally found the tower. A few Ravenclaws passed by him on his way up the stairs, giving him a confused look. The only reason he would even be there was if he had to speak to the divination professor in the attic of the tower, but he was obviously a first year. Only third years and up have the option of divination. Regardless, Wei Ying ignored their stares and pushed on.

He reached the landing where an ornate black door stood to the side. Directly in its center hung a large brass knocker in the shape of an eagle. Wei Ying just stared at it. Shit. How the hell was he supposed to get in? The Gryffindor room just had a password for its door, but Wei Ying didn’t know the Ravenclaw password, let alone if they even had a password. 

The young boy dropped his bag to his side and slid down the wall. He just never thought these things through. Even running away from child services after his parents died was a complete impulse decision. Of course, it worked out, but that was mostly because Wei Ying knew his way around the city and knew people to help him out along the way. Here, he knew almost nobody and can barely find his way to his classes. 

Okay, okay, it’s time to stop moping, Wei Ying thought. This shit is not going to get any better if he just sat here wallowing like a baby. He had to find a way through that door. Maybe if he just… knocked? He reached up and grabbed the knocker, gently hitting the door twice. He waited in the silence that followed. Was someone supposed to open the door or… ? Just as he was about to grab it again, the eagle adorning the black door opened its beak. 

“ What does man love more than life, hate more than death or mortal strife; that which contented men desire; the poor have, the rich require; the miser spends, the spendthrift saves, and all men carry to their graves ?” 

A riddle? To open the door to the common room requires solving a riddle? It made sense, Wei Ying supposed, Ravenclaws being clever and all. But, to be honest, it’s a lot of brainpower just to get to your room. The boy thought for a moment. 

“To love more than life… men desire but also hate… and all men take to their graves…,” He thought out loud, mumbling quietly to himself. “What do the poor have that rich people need?” 

“Nothing,” answered an familiar voice behind him. Wei Ying spun around in surprise. There Lan Wangji stood, not a crease in his uniform, his hair still tied up in that perfectly combed half ponytail. God, he didn't even make a sound as he climbed those stairs. His golden eyes had a pierce to them, similar to his uncle. This time though, they looked at him with less anger and more… of something else. In short, he was unreadable. As always. 

“Lan Wangji!” Wei Ying grinned. His luck was finally playing out. The boy he’d been trying to corner for the last week is talking to him voluntarily! Right in front of… the Ravenclaw door… “Listen I was trying to get in to see  _ you! _ Not to, like, raid the common room or something…” 

He laughed awkwardly. Lan Wangji’s expression remained unmovable. 

“Wait do you know the answer? Actually that’s not important. Listen I don’t know if I can do anything to make you forget what I said last week but I–”

“Nothing.” The door behind Wei Ying creaked open.

“Excuse me?”

“The answer.”

“The wha– Oh! The answer to the riddle! That’s pretty good. Yeah I guess that makes sense. Rich men certainly need more of nothing, humans definitely hate nothing, a spendthrift saves nothing… yeah I suppose that makes perfect sense!” 

Lan Wangji, ever tight-lipped, just continued to stare. 

"How did you figure it out?"

The boy stood there in silence, his face blank. Maybe he was thinking, speculated Wei Ying. 

"There is nothing in death. No person carries anything to their grave."

“Wow, that was the most I've ever heard you talk! No wonder you're a Ravenclaw, that was really smart thinking," Wei Ying smiled at him. The other student failed to react, his eyes not even wavering. "Well, like I was saying, I know I said some stupid shit over breakfast the other day and, I don’t know, I just want to say that it sucked and I was hoping you wouldn’t tell your uncle or whatever because  _ my _ uncle, or, well, Uncle Jiang, would be really pissed. I don’t know– sorry I’m rambling, you know, I guess I–”

“It is fine.” He finally looked away. He was staring at the wall next to him, now. 

“Wait wha–”

“I said, it is fine.” 

“Wait does that mean you won’t te–”

The Ravenclaw looked over Wei Ying and moved past him, not giving him a second glance, his hair ribbon billowing behind him. He entered the now-open common room door, not looking behind him as he turned the corner, out of sight. The door closed itself gently behind him. 

Wei Ying sighed. It was easy, he supposes, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t… disappointing. He doesn’t know what he was expecting. A blood pact to keep it secret? A heartfelt, teary-eyed confession of how hurt he was? He just didn’t expect it to be so quick, so decisive. That’s Lan Wangji’s personality, though, he reasoned with himself. Anything to the contrary would conflict with his character. 

At least he won’t tell anyone, he thinks. Well, he didn’t explicitly say he wouldn’t, but he said everything was fine, right? Wei Ying still has a home to go back to in the summer and an adoptive parent who accepts him. Madame Yu won’t hang his hide up on a mantle (for this instance at least) and he can breathe easier. 

He gathered his stuff and descended back down the stairs, his heartbeat slowing. It’s only the first week of his new school an already he’s had enough anxiety to last him a month. He laughed to himself, shaking his head. This school was going to be much more interesting than expected.

-

“I told you you had nothing to worry about,” Jiang Cheng said as he, Nie Huaisang, and Wei Ying lounged in the courtyard. The sun was hidden and it was blissfully cool outside. “I swear you got so caught up on this I was worried I’d have to find Lan Wangji myself.”

“Neither of you have to worry about getting kicked out of the family,” Wei Ying reasoned, his hands behind his head as he sprawled out on the grass. “You guys have actual blood ties to all that pureblood stuff, I’m just a kid they found on the street.”

“Oh come off it,” Jiang Cheng scolded. “Besides, no one’s going to kick you out of the house because you said some pissy remark about two people. It’s not like you beat him up or something.”

“Yeah,” Nie Huaisang piped in, “and don’t think that just because I’m biologically related to my brother that makes me any more immune to his punishments. I already got a pretty angry letter about me being sorted into Hufflepuff. As if I could help it. I argued with the stupid hat for a whole minute before he screamed ‘HUFFLEPUFF!’” He mimicked the hat’s raspy voice with some amusing jazz hands before slamming his charms book shut out of frustration. They’ve had a lot of homework these last few days, and Nie Huaisang is having trouble keeping up. Consequently, he’s been carrying his books around with him wherever he goes, working on this and that in whatever free time he had available. 

Wei Ying, on the other hand, hasn’t had much trouble with what he’s been assigned so far. He’s read through most of the textbooks already and has about half of the spells in the charms book memorized. At first, he was doing it to prove that he was worthy of Uncle Jiang’s hospitality, but honestly this stuff was pretty interesting. He was particularly interested in the history of magic, its many wars, conflicts, kings, queens, and disasters were riveting. To believe that wizards actually fought battles against goblins or that mermaids have their own form of independent monarchy! 

Their professor on the subject, Professor Binns, was dreadfully boring despite being a ghost. However, that didn’t stop the young wizard from practically devouring their history of magic textbook. He’s resorted to checking out other historical texts from the Hogwarts library and now reads in his leisure time–– something that would’ve shocked his younger self. Two years ago, he wouldn’t have picked up a book unless his parent’s forced him. Even then, he put up a fight; excuses ranging from “my eyes hurt” to “the book is on the laptop, see?” Either way, he had to finish twenty pages of  _ Hatchet _ before he could have desert. 

“Seriously, dude, you don’t have to worry about Dad kicking you out of the family. Mom might want to, but there is no way Dad would ever let anything like that happen. And it’s not like you’re some random kid, either. Your dad and mine were, like, best friends or something. Kicking you out would totally disrespect his memory, or whatever.”

“Thanks, dude. But, either way I don’t want Professor Lan to start taking away points for missing an assignment or something because Mr. Prissy-Pants went and snitched on me.” 

“Mr. Prissy-Pants?” Jiang Cheng laughed.

“Oh please, you cannot get on me for name calling. You’re the one who named their owl Princess.”

“No way! Jiang Cheng, you named your owl  _ Princess?" _ Nie Huaisang’s dreary expression brightened with a high pitched laugh.

“Shut up!” the young Gryffindor’s face was tinged with pink. “There is nothing wrong with naming a regal animal like her after royalty!”

“If you wanted to name her after royalty you could’ve gone with Elizabeth or something.” 

Jiang Cheng grabbed his empty bag and slung it over his brother’s smiling face. “Don’t you have a flute to practice or something?”

The three continued to jokingly argue for the next hour, laughing and giggling to their heart’s content. They were still young and dwelling on the past, especially on an already resolved problem, was beyond them. This moment, one of laughter and joy, that was a moment worth focusing on. 

-

The next day, Wei Ying found himself in front of Professor Flitwick’s office, his flute case clutched tightly in his right hand. He was auditioning for the orchestra today, and had sight-read music of the professor’s choice. Wei Ying wasn’t nervous, however. He had only been playing for two years, but he’d been told by many that he was practically a prodigy. Whatever Flitwick had, he could take. Besides, the worst that happens is he doesn’t get in and he tries again next year. 

He knocked on the dark wooden door and heard a squeaky “Come in!” from the other side. Entering the office, Wei Ying couldn’t help but notice how… messy it was: old quills littered the desk and books were piled in every nook and cranny available. He guessed he just figured the head of Ravenclaw would be more tidy, like Lan Wangji was.

“Just have a seat on that pile of books there, if you don’t mind,” the tiny professor said, gesturing to a stack in front of what looked like a music stand but without the stand. The platform where you set the music on was levitating on its own. “Now, I am going to give you a piece and you will have to sight-read it. You will perform it twice: once without ever looking at it, and again after looking over it for about ten minutes. I will score you based on tone, pitch, rhythm, technique, and expression. I’m going to be more lenient than normal as you’ve never practiced this before. Let me know when you are ready for the music!” He cheerfully chirped the last part. 

Wei Ying sat on the surprisingly stable stack and began assembling his instrument. He made sure to clean it thoroughly last night after he practiced so he didn’t get spit on the professor’s floor. The old wizard could probably magick it away but the Gryffindor wasn’t going to take any chances. After indicating that he was ready, the professor flicked his wand and urged forward the sheet music. Wei Ying brought the silver flute to his lips and began to play.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that these characters are 11-12 right now so... yeah nothing crazy going on right now relationship-wise.


	7. Chapter 7

“I got in!” Wei Ying practically jumped into the dorm room, waving his black flute case around with absolute reckless abandon. He jumped onto the old four-poster bed as it creaked in complaint. 

“Congrats,” Jiang Cheng said in a deadpan voice as he lay on his bed, a book blocking his face from view. His feet were crossed and it looked like he was already in his pajamas. 

“Got in where?” One of their roommates, Ben Dolan, voiced from the opposite side of the room. He was currently tacking up a new poster of Gwenog Jones, the captain of a quidditch team called the Holyhead Harpies. She was zooming on her broom, weaving in and out of various bludgers, with an expression of complete seriousness. 

“Don’t get him started,” Jiang Cheng sighed, snapping Wei Ying out of his temporary hypnosis as he stared at the moving poster.

“The school  _ orchestra _ of course!” He shouted with excitement, ignoring Jiang Cheng’s annoyance. He was beaming with pride at his admission. When he heard about it he was certainly interested, but it never got his heart racing with excitement. However, when Professor Flitwick informed him of his acceptance, even saying he was “exceptional”, there was an undeniable cause for rejoice. According to Flitwick, not many first years get accepted. In fact, this was the first time in seven years a first year was in the orchestra.

Ben smiled at him as he finished smoothing out the poster. “Congrats man.” 

“What’s going on?” Omar and Qian Bo, Wei Ying’s other roommates, walked into the room. When they met upon their first day here, they clicked almost immediately. They’re practically attached at the hip, not going or doing anything without each other. 

“Who are we congratulating?” Qian Bo asked again.

“Wei Ying got into the orchestra,” Ben kindly informed them all as he plopped onto his bed. Wei Ying was still grinning from ear.

“Hey, sweet!” Omar reach over for a fist bump, to which Wei Ying enthusiastically returned. 

“Is wizard music any different from regular music?” Qian Bo inquired. Unlike Omar and Ben, Qian Bo was muggle born and was relatively new to the world of magic, much to Wei Ying’s relief. Hearing that another person is new to this stuff as well was a welcome change to his brother’s constant shock toward his ignorance of seemingly well-known activities and people (“Seriously, how do you not know The Weird Sisters? They’re on the radio all the time!”). Omar and Ben’s parents were both wizards. Like Jiang Cheng, they were accustomed to the magical ways of wizards and witches. 

“I think it’s the same since I just played normally with my flute,” answered Wei Ying. “Flitwick did have a floating stand, though.” 

“I don’t know that much about muggle music,” Ben chimed in, “but I think it’s pretty similar. But, we don’t have it on those phone things you guys use.”

“Like, smart phones?” Qian Bo suggested. Him and Omar moved to sit on their respective beds, kicking off their shoes and heavy cloaks.

“Why do they call them smart phones? Are they actually smart or something? Are they alive?” 

“I don’t know why they’re called that, now that I think about it. They all have touchscreens, though, so maybe that has something to do with it.”

“Wait, what’s a touch screen?” Omar asked. 

“What do you think? It’s a screen you can touch,” Wei Ying answered.

“Dude, that doesn’t even answer my question,” Omar retorted with a roll of his eyes. 

“Guys!” Jiang Cheng butted in. “Seriously, I don’t care if you talk but could you do it near each other so you’re not yelling across the room? I’m trying to read.” He waved his book exasperatedly, his face contorted with annoyance. 

Omar giggled. “Okay, your highness.” 

“My bad, sire,” Wei Ying said in his best royal accent. He then stood up from his bed and gave a long, exaggerated bow.

“Truly, lord, I beg your pardon,” Qian Bo joined in the bow. Ben stayed on his bed, his head back with a loud hearty laugh. 

“Merlin,” Jiang Cheng huffed, stuffing his book into his bag next to him and storming out the room. He made sure to give Wei Ying a deadly stare before he descended the stairs and out of sight. He was most likely going to the common room to read in peace, Wei Ying guessed. 

“Is he always like that?” Ben asked, his laughter finally dying. They’ve only been living together for a week, and they still weren't quite used to each other’s various quirks and mannerisms. 

“Yeah,” Wei Ying shrugged. “You get used to it, though. He acts more pissed than he actually is. He’ll be back to normal in like an hour.” 

Sure enough, after all the boys had changed into their pajamas and had gotten ready for bed, Jiang Cheng joined them once more. The boys spent the rest of the night laughing and giggling as the moon ran its lonely course.

-

The next monday came up fast, much to Nie Huaisang’s despair. The whole weekend he complained about his homework to Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying, saying there simply wasn’t enough time to finish it all. 

“Seriously,” he moaned next to the brothers as he tagged along their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts (he had Charms, but it was on the way, he insisted), “how does Professor Lan expect me to have a foot long essay about Imps and expect me to finish the mountain of homework McGonagall about the transfiguration alphabet?” 

“Mate, I finished that essay in like two hours,” Wei Ying laughed. 

“Easy for you to say,” the first year sighed. “You and Jiang Cheng practically know everything already. Did Jiang Yanli tutor you guys or something?”

“Awe, little hufflepuff is jealous,” he said in his best baby-voice. “It’s okay huffy-kins, Dada will teach you all you need to know. Okay, lets start with numbers one through ten: one, two--”

“Shijie didn’t teach us anything,” Jiang Cheng interrupted, shoving Wei Ying at he continued to bat his eyes in Nie Huaisang’s face. “Don’t worry, man, you’ll get it eventually. You’ll find a subject you excel at, eventually.” With those words of reassurance and a bit more demanding silence from Wei Ying as he tried to teach Nie Huaisang the alphabet, they parted ways at the door to Professor Lan’s class. 

Taking their seats, Wei Ying’s goofy smile vanished as he couldn’t help but look at Lan Wangji. He was currently reading from the textbook at his desk, not giving the chattering students around him any notice. It was still a couple minutes until class started, so his nose in a book instead of his usual stand-at-attention attitude made sense. 

“Psst,” Wei Ying hissed at him. “Lan Wangji.” The boy did not look up from his book. 

“Hey, idiot, what are you doing?” Jiang Cheng muttered next to him.

“Just trying to get his attention,” Shrugged Wei Ying. “He likes me.”

“What in Merlin’s name makes you think that?” 

“Why else would he decide not to snitch on me? That’s got to mean something.” 

“Well, either way that doesn’t mean you can go poking at him,” Jiang Cheng said through gritted teeth. 

“I’m not poking at him, I’m just saying hi. Lan Wangji! Psst!” He waved his arms at him, hoping to catch his eye. The boy’s golden eyes flickered over for just a brief moment, but returned to his book eventually. The gryffindor leaned back in his old desk chair, frowning. He can see him, but why isn’t he saying hi? 

“Told you he doesn’t like you, man,” Jiang Cheng smiled villainously.

“Shut up,” Wei Ying said. “He’s just engrossed in his book.” 

“Yeah that good old Standard Book of Spells is real gripping.”

“Oh my God,” Wei Ying groaned, throwing balled up parchment at his brother’s giggling face. Wei Ying gave up trying to get the other boy’s attention. As long as he’s not tattling to his uncle, it didn’t matter how he felt about him.

“Quiet, please,” said a commanding voice from the front of the classroom. Speaking of his uncle. “Before we begin, please pass your essays to the front.” After a rustle of parchment and students digging through their bags, the professor held a stack of yellowing paper in the front. 

Putting them on his desk, he began, “In the essay you should have mentioned the knockback jinx. In the event of an Imp attack, you would use this spell to defend yourself. However, can anybody tell me what this jinx does specifically to the Imp? Su She?” 

“Sir, doesn’t it just… knock it back?” the ravenclaw boy named Su She voiced.

“That’s what it will to humans and many other beasts. But this spell has a specific effect on Imps that makes it useful in defense form them. Anyone else?” The sound of pages flipping pages hummed in the background as students searched through their textbooks. Wei Ying knew the answer, but he wasn’t one to show off in the classroom. If he was going to be arrogant, he was going to do it for something worth showing off, like his flute.

Nobody’s hand raised at Professor Lan’s question, however. His usual stern face showed a slight frown as he looked around. His eyes landed on his nephew.

“Lan Wangji, please enlighten us on how this spell affects an Imp.”

The boy, ever so polite, stood from his seat. His hands behind his back, he answered, “The knockback jinx temporarily immobilizes the Imp and allows enough time to trap it in a containment device or dispose of it in a pit.” His eyes never left his uncles, not a word wavered nor breath shook. 

“Thank you, Lan Wangji,” his uncle said with a small of look of pride, as if showing the class his accomplishment in raising this boy. “I know we are still in the first week so of classes, but I cannot stress the importance of reading the material assigned and studying it on a regular basis. I am not opposed to pop quizzes, as I stated on the first day.” The class practically sighed in unison at the mention of pop quizzes. This school was certainly not opposed to a constant workload, thought Wei Ying. 

Yet, just as the class practically bathed in the gloom of more schoolwork, everyones faces lit up in excitement as Professor Lan announced that they would be doing a practical lesson on the knockback jinx. They have had some magic use in Charms, but it was really simple stuff like levitation charms. It was nothing like knocking a person to the ground!

“Now, please choose a partner and we will begin practicing. I do not want to see a single spell, however, until I say it is okay to begin.” With a wave of his wand, all the desks in the room were pushed to the walls. Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng both began practicing the wand movements, being careful to keep their mouths shut so they don’t accidentally send an unwanted spell at someone. 

“I’ve set up some cushioning on one side of the room,” he gestured to a large pile of pillows in front of some of the desks. “One partner will use this spell on the other, and they will be knocked back into the pile. If I see anyone using this spell on any student who is either not their partner or not in front of the cushioning, I will not hesitate to give detentions and subtract points.” He said that last part with so much severity it practically chilled Wei Ying’s spine. “Remember, a small flick of the wrist and say  _ flipendo _ . The spell tends to make a loud noise when properly executed, so be aware. You are free to practice.”

The rest of the class period was filled with bangs ,“oofs” from his classmates, and the bright golden light emitted from the spell. Wei Ying and his classmates took turns flying into the pile of cushions, unharmed but a little disoriented by the third time. Wei Ying watched as Lan Wangji landed a couple spots away from him from Su She’s spell, his perfectly pressed robes getting rumpled. The Gryffindor couldn’t help but snicker as his utter misfortune as he watched him flick his long hair back, aggravated at its disarray no doubt. 

Wei Ying had practically mastered the spell on only his third try, Jiang Cheng on his fourth. By the end of class, bothe were having a contest to see how far they can make the other fly back (Wei Ying won with by three feet). In all, it was the most fun Wei Ying had ever had.

The rest of the day, however, passed pretty uneventfully. Wei Ying finally met Wen Qionglin, who insisted he call him Wen Ning, and even helped him restrain his bouncing bulb as the purple plant attempted to wack them. He was timid and had a far away look on his face, but in all he was very kind. He could see why Wen Qing cared for him so much.

That night, after a filling dinner featuring a large bowl of chicken and rice, he stared out the window near his bed and marveled at the scattered stars. He usually wasn’t the sentimental type, but that night he was feeling a bit tender. 

The previous wednesday during his astronomy class, he remembers how he saw the sky for the first time. He saw the twinkling stars, red planets, and ridges of the moon. He saw the sheer enormity of the universe, something he never even considered only a couple years before.

When Wei Ying was a vagabond in London, the sky was a consistent cloudy black and the stars shielded behind decades of light pollution. He saw the moon peaking out behind buildings or completely hidden as he lay on the hard concrete under an overpass trying to sleep despite the roaring sound of cars rushing past overhead. When his mind was only focused on how he was going to eat the next day, staring at the blanket of night and contemplating his place in the universe wasn’t really his first priority. That didn’t stop him from longing for his old life, however.

He didn’t go to school during that time, for fear of CPS finding him. Plus, he didn’t have a shower and only took with him three changes of clothes that he washed about twice a week. He would have literally been universally shunned. He had old friends he left behind, some possessions he couldn't take with. Yet, even with all the temptation to return, he never did. He can’t help but think that if he went back, he probably wouldn’t have met the Jiangs. 

As he gazed out the rippled glass, he realized how goddamn lucky he is that he ended up here. How incredible it was that Uncle Jiang found him and how welcoming (most) of the family was. Sitting there on the window sill on the umpteenth floor in the tower of a castle, surrounded by friends and magic… he’s baffled at his good fortune. He’s always prided himself on his cunning, but no amount of intelligence would lead him where he is now. 

Without warning, Jiang Cheng gave a loud snore next to him. Jumping at the loud sound, Wei Ying realized how late it was. Fully aware of his Charms class the next morning, Wei Ying crawled into his bed. Soon, the ancient castle was heavy with sleep as the darkness slowly disappeared to reveal a new morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even have an excuse for the late update. I'll try to be better next chapter I promise :)


	8. Chapter 8

Weeks passed as uneventfully as it could at a school of magic, and soon Halloween was approaching. The leaves began to fall and the grass began to yellow, and the air was much more chipper than normal. Enough so that on some mornings, Wei Ying would wear his gold and red scarf over his uniform to class.

The cold weather did nothing to stop his teachers from dumping more work on them, however. Midterms were imminent and many students were stuffed with loads of studying to do. Wei Ying, on the other hand, didn’t really do much at all. He had already memorized the Standard Book of Spells, and was about a chapter ahead on their history class. He didn’t even have that much trouble with transfiguration, something poor Nie Huaisang wouldn’t shut up about. 

Jiang Cheng seemed to be in the same boat as Wei Ying, however, and didn’t stress to much about the exams. He did study however, and reprimanded his brother for his lack of devotion. 

It was a saturday, and they had just spent about two hours in the library. Jiang Cheng was preparing for his Defense Against the Dark Arts exam on monday. Contrary to his brother, Wei Wuxian just spent the entire time doodling different creatures his brother was quizzing him on. He drew a particularly good hag, if he was being honest, but his werewolves could use some work. 

Nie Huaisang would be with them, but his older brother heard about his dreadful transfiguration grade he got in the last practical exam, and forbade him from leaving the common room unless to go to class or eat. Wei Ying tried to convince him to sneak out, maybe a quick trip to the quidditch fields to watch the teams practice (a new favorite hobby of Wei Ying’s), but Nie Huaisang wasn’t convinced. He claims his brother has eyes all over the school, which honestly isn’t that surprising once you thought about it. He’s a high ranking Auror despite only graduating four years ago, and probably has ministry friends that visit the school every so often. Not to mention he’s a pureblood, so he’s got even more connections to the various students and staff around the school. 

“Seriously,” Jiang Cheng said on their way back, “how are not going to study for your first exams?” 

“I told you, I don’t really need to study,” Wei Ying explained. “I already know everything.” Plus he didn’t really have time. With the extra homework they’ve been getting plus the orchestra practices twice a week, his schedule was filling up. 

“God you’re so infuriating sometimes,” Jiang Cheng groaned. “Dad’s gonna be so disappointed when you fail your first fucking semester. Not to mention Mom’s gonna absolutely murder you.”

“Okay, number one: I’m not going to fail. And number two: your mom is going to murder me whether I get top of the class or fail so bad Professor Dumbledore personally escorts me out the front doors.”

Jiang Cheng had to hide his smile at his brother’s seemingly inexhaustible ability to make a joke out of everything. “Okay, well, just don’t be an idiot about this. Or at least, not as much of an idiot”

“I promise-” A loud noise cut him off. It sounded like… a yelp of some sort. Maybe a cry? Jiang Cheng heard it, too, both of them stopping in their tracks. The corridor was empty, with most of the students cooped up in their common rooms or the library cramming for their exams. 

They heard the cry again, this time sounding a little more like a whimper. It was coming from around the corner just ahead…

As the brothers made their way up, they spotted the commotion. Up against the wall was Wen Ning, the brother of Wen Qing, the slytherin Wei Ying befriended in his potions class. His books were scattered on the floor, spilt ink and crushed quills littering the open pages. His nose was bleeding slightly and it looked like he was crying. Surrounding him were what looked like three or four Slytherins, at least a grade above them.

“Hey!” Wei Ying shouted, without even thinking. They group whipped their heads toward him and Jiang Cheng. 

“What are you doing?” Jiang Cheng whispered through gritted teeth beside him. 

“Helping a friend,” the other boy answered indignantly, shoving his books in Jiang Cheng’s reluctant arms. He marched over, his wand in hand. He may not have used a lot of spells, but he knew enough to defend himself and possibly fend them off. “Get your hands off him.” He was close now, enough to see that all of them were at least two or three inches taller than him.

The one pushing the hufflepuff against the wall gave him a piercing glare. His hair was black and greasy, pulled back into a low ponytail on the back of his head. He looked slightly familiar. “Just who do you thing you are?” he snarled. He let go of Wen Ning, turning and walking toward Wei Ying instead. 

“Does it matter? What do you think you’re doing, harming a kid like that?” Wei Ying gripped his wand tightly.

“Listen, I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but I assure you and your little friend here”- he gestured toward Jiang Cheng, who was standing a couple paces behind him - “that this is none of your concern.” 

“He’s my friend. Of course it’s my concern.” In truth, he had really only spoken to Wen Ning a couple of times in his herbology class. Nevertheless, seeing him being picked on by these assholes was getting on his nerves.

“Do you even know who I am? Who my father is?” His voice was strangely high-pitched.

“Unless your dad is the Prime Minister, I truly couldn’t care less. Actually, even if he was the Prime Minister I still wouldn’t give a shit.”

“I’m Wen Chao, you imbecile!” 

Wei Ying gave him a look. “... Okay?” He wasn’t sure how that was relevant. His dad’s locked up in Azkaban for setting dementors loose, one of which apparently affected Wen Ning. If anything, him beating up his cousin makes even less sense. 

Wen Chao smiled an ugly grin, toothy and cheshire-like. “Okay, fine,” he said. He let Wen Ning go, and the boy toppled to the floor before springing back up, dizzy and bruised. The greasy fellow grabbed his robe and shoved him forward, past Wei Wuxian and toward Jiang Cheng. 

Before Wei Ying could turn around, the Slytherin lunged toward him. Wei Ying side-stepped just in time, sending him tumbling to the ground. His goons just watched, one of them with a rather amused expression on his face. 

Wei ying watched as Wen Chao stumbled to his feet, a sneer plastered on his ugly features. His lip was busted and it looked like his robes got torn at the sleeve. “That was pretty pathetic,” Wei Ying provoked, clutching his wand behind his back.

“Why you-” Wen Chao charged at him again, but not before the Gryffindor whipped out his wand.  _ “Locomotor Wibbly!”  _ he shouted.

Suddenly, Wen Chao’s legs collapsed and he face planted on the floor once again. He struggled to get up once again, but this time he just fell back onto cold stone. His legs kept wobbling, refusing to work properly and thus cause many more tumbles. Finally, his Slytherin friends grabbed his arms, pulling him up and supporting him by the shoulders. 

“You idiots, why didn’t you help me?” Wen Chao spat at them. “Get them!” But by the time he made his demand, the three first years were already walking away, escorting Wen Ning to the hospital wing. 

“If I’m honest, I didn’t help because it was pretty entertaining to watch to face-plant ten times,” Wei Ying heard one of the slytherins say from behind him. Before they could hear Wen Chao’s response they had rounded the corner, out of ear-shot. 

-

“Did I ever tell you you’re an idiot?” 

“Many times, brother.”

“It is really beyond me that you keep picking mindless fights with people you don’t even know.”

“I told you the guy looked familiar. And Wen Ning is my friend, I’m not just going to let him get pummeled like that!”

They were waiting outside the hospital wing for Wen Ning to get patched up by Madame Pomfrey, their laps piled with a mix of their books and his. For the past fifteen minutes Jiang Cheng has just been scolding him about his behavior, acting suspiciously like Madame Yu. This is not how Wei Ying wanted to spend his saturday afternoon, but if he doesn’t dare complain to Jiang Cheng. He can only imagine the griping. 

_ “We wouldn’t  _ have _ to be here if you didn’t dig your own grave and drag me down with you.” _ His voice would be seething with rage, like usual.

Yeah he’ll stay silent. 

Suddenly, the doors next to him creaked open, snapping him out of his thoughts. Wen Ning appeared from the doorway. What used to be a bruised, crooked nose now sat perfectly straight and unblemished on his face. His scrapes and scratches were mended as well, not a scar in sight. Wei Wuxian had to hand it to Madame Pomfrey, she’s a damn good doctor. 

As they were handing him back his books, a voice rose up near the end of the hall. 

“A-Ning! A-Ning!” Wen Qing appeared, running into a hug from her brother. “A-Ning, are you okay? Are you still hurt? What happened?” 

“Calm down, Wen Qing,” Wei Wuxian sounded from beside her. She pivoted from her brother and glared, seemingly surprised at his presence. “What, you didn’t see me? I’ve been out here for, like, ten minutes.”

She rolled her eyes at that. “What are you two doing here? Did _you_ _guys_ have something to do with this?” She jabbed her finger in there direction threateningly.

“No! No we would never!” Jiang Cheng denied quickly. “We just helped him back here after we escaped from his... his perpetrators.” It seems Jiang Cheng was hesitant to name the culprits. He probably didn’t want to be caught up in any Wen drama, or at least didn’t want to be associated with it.

“‘His perpetrators?’” Wen Qing questioned suspiciously.

“He means your cousins were beating him up,” Wei Ying said bluntly. The Slytherin girl’s brown eyes widened, her composure slipping. “I performed a jelly legs jinx on your buddy Wen Chao and me and Jiang Cheng escorted him to Madame Pomfrey. He had a couple scrapes and bruises, and maybe a broken nose, but it looks like he’s all fixed up now.” 

Silence. 

“He’s right,” Wen Ning whispered after a beat. 

Wen Qing silently lowered her gaze, her face almost as stoic as Lan Wangji’s, if not for her slight frown. She turned to back to Wen Ning and grabbed some of his books from his arms. “C’mon, A-Ning, lets get you back to the common room if you’re feeling better.” She and her twin, their backs turned, began walking down the opposite corridor. Before she made it a couple steps, however, she stopped. Without turning around, she gave the brothers a small, “Thank you”, then continued her brisk walk toward the kitchens.

The Gryffindor’s stood in the hall, watching them walk away. After they were out of sight, Jiang Cheng turned to his brother. “Why in  _ Merlin’s _ name did you tell her it was her  _ ‘buddy’ _ Wen Chao?” 

“Remember how I said he looked familiar? Well I remembered where I saw him. It was at the welcoming feast.”

“Well  _ duh _ , Wei Ying. The entire school was at the welcoming feast.” They started back toward Gryffindor tower. 

“No, no, I mean I saw him and Wen Qing at the welcoming feast. After she got sorted into Slytherin she went and sat right next to him. He even gave her, like, a pat on the back and stuff.”

Jiang Cheng though about this. “I mean, it would make sense for them to be friends since they’re related and everything.”

“Then why were they beating up Wen Ning?” Wei Wuxian pointed out.

“Honestly, I don’t know. But I think calling his bully Wen Qing’s ‘buddy’ right to her face was a pretty messed up thing to do.” 

“Why shouldn’t I? It’s the truth. I mean if she’s friends with an asshole like him, I don’t see a problem in shoving it back in her face. If she really cared about Wen Ning, she would distance herself from them after this.”

“Wei Ying,” Jiang Cheng started, “it’s not that easy. She’s a Wen. She grew up surrounded by Wens. One little instance like this isn’t going to make her disown her whole family. She would be homeless.”

Wei Ying didn’t have an argument for that. “Yeah, I guess.”

And they left it at that. 


End file.
